The future of transportation is heading straight for Texas. First there was talk of a super high-speed train across the state, then billionaire Elon Musk's even faster hyperloop tube travel, and now another innovative project is taking off in the Lone Star State.
Uber is determined to introduce flying cars to Dallas and Dubai by the year 2020.
The undertaking is incredibly ambitious – in fact, the technology for this kind of aircraft has yet to even be developed. Uber has teamed up with five aviation companies in an effort to create the VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) electric aircraft that it has envisioned, including Fort Worth-based Bell Helicopter.
These types of flying machines do not need runways to take off. They go straight up (vertically) into the sky.
Uber has also partnered with Fort Worth-based real estate company Hillwood Properties to plan and build "vertiports" for the aircrafts.
If the flying car project is successful in Dubai and Dallas, Uber plans to extend it to other cities and have a full-scale network up and running by 2023.
While the technology will be expensive in the short term, Uber is indicating that the flying car services would be as inexpensive as UberX to use. And unlike Uber Chopper, the new aircrafts will be quiet and high-efficiency.
The idea is certainly lofty – but if it really can turn a one hour and 40 minute commute into a 15-minute flight in an airborne car, we're ready for takeoff.
Source: Uber Shushes the Flying Car Doubters, Insists It Will Have Vehicles in the Sky by 2020
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