Uber unveiled its flying-car concept Tuesday, saying it wants to do its part to advance the electric air-taxi industry.
At its second annual Elevate Summit in Los Angeles, the ride-hailing giant introduced a prototype for its electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOL), which are designed to carry four passengers in ride-sharing flights in dense, urban markets.
At last year’s Elevate Summit, Uber announced that it planned to do test flights in 2020 and hoped to deploy the vehicles commercially in 2023. The company says the vehicles will be piloted at first, but that they will eventually be autonomous.
Last fall, Uber signed an agreement with NASA to help develop new unmanned traffic-management concepts and aerial systems. Uber also has other partners in developing the systems and technology for electric VTOL vehicles, which take off and land like helicopters, and are being touted as an answer to traffic congestion on land.
The release of its drone-like prototype is part of a collaborative approach Uber says is important to making sure safety and design concerns are addressed early.
“The closer we get to moving riders by way of eVTOL technologies, the more important it becomes to advance the State of the Art for these aircraft,” said Mark Moore, Uber’s director of engineering, Elevate vehicle systems, in a statement. “Our existing partners are experts in their respective fields, and it’s our job to equip them with the tools and resources needed to make urban aviation transit a reality.”
The flying vehicles would fly 1,000 to 2,000 feet in the air at speeds of 150 to 200 miles per hour, according to Uber. The company also said the aircraft could be recharged for under five minutes during peak hours. They will be rolled out first in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and in Los Angeles.
Another Silicon Valley company, Kitty Hawk, is testing electric pilotless air taxis that seat two. The startup, backed by Google co-founder Larry Page, announced in March that it is conducting the tests in New Zealand.
Uber’s unveiling of an aircraft prototype comes as it deals with issues on land: It is awaiting federal investigators’ conclusions about a March crash in which one of the company’s self-driving vehicles struck and killed a pedestrian in Arizona.
