As Dubai’s sky gears up to welcome flying cars in July with active cooperation from Chinese-firm E-Hang, world famous ride-hailing company Uber has also decided to jump onto the bandwagon and test flying cars in Dubai and Dallas in 2020.
At a conference organised in Dallas, Jeff Holden, Chief Product Officer of Uber, said, “Officials in Dallas and Dubai have signed on to work with the company on testing vehicles that can take off and land vertically in their cities by 2020.”
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The company also said that it is partnering with a handful of aircraft manufacturers and real estate firms, as well as with ChargePoint Inc. to lay an electric charging network.
The goal aligns with Uber’s mission of efficiency and cutting down on transit time, Holden said. The flying car option would eventually be available in the Uber App.
Uber is also working with aircraft manufacturers, including Aurora Flight Services and Pipistrel Aircraft, who will build the flying cars using VTOL Technology, or technology for a vertical takeoff aircraft, and with real-estate companies in the two cities to build landing pads for the cars. The company has also been in discussions with NASA and the National Air Traffic Control Association about its planned network, Holden said.
Though Uber is starting with those two cities, Holden said he expects the number of cities with flying cars to grow rapidly.