Uber has plans to scramble electric flying taxis in the sky, which you can hail at the push of a button. These cabs will be Vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) crafts that will operate under the company’s ‘Elevate’ scheme which will be employed first in Dubai and Dallas. Uber says it will work with a range of aviation firms to have the first demonstration of the urban flying cab network ready by 2020.
Aurora Flight Sciences and Bell Helicopters are among the among the firms Uber has announced it will work with to make the ‘Elevate’ project a reality. ChargePoint, a firm which specializes in developing charging stations will join in to develop a fueling network for the VTOL crafts. Uber believes Elevate will help cut a lot of emissions and decongest urban streets, while competitive fares as a part of a long-term pricing strategy would mean that the service won’t be reserved only for the elite.
The firm’s chief product officer Jeff Holden said, “What started as a simple question – ‘why can’t I push a button and get a ride?’ – has turned, for Uber, into a passionate pursuit of the pinnacle of urban mobility – the reduction of congestion and pollution from transportation, giving people their time back, freeing up real estate dedicated to parking and providing access to mobility in all corners of a city. Urban Aviation is a natural next step for Uber in this pursuit, which is why we are working to make ‘push a button, get a flight’ a reality.”