Uber picks Dallas as test city for flying vehiclesTop Stories

April 26, 2017 06:34
Uber picks Dallas as test city for flying vehicles

In an announcement on Tuesday, Uber said that Dallas and Fort Worth are its first U.S. partner cities for what is its dubbing the “Uber Elevate Network.” Uber is going to test its initiative to make intra-urban flying vehicle rides a reality.

The ride hailing company hopes to have the first demonstration of how such a network of flying hailed vehicles would work in three years.

The announcement was made in a three-day Uber Elevate Summit being held in Dallas.

The company is also planning with Hillwood Properties to plan vertiports, where the aircraft would pick up and drop off passengers. Whereas ‘Bell Helicopter’ is among companies partnering with Uber to help develop actual vehicles, called VTOLs because they would vertically take off and land.

The chief executive of Bell Helicopter, Mitch Snyder said: “It’s not going to happen right away, tomorrow, but the technology is definitely there.”

“We definitely believe the hybrid electric is something we could go make and fly right now. But I think full electric, to give it the range and everything you want out of it, is not quite there,” he added.

“This is an opportunity for our city to show leaders from around the world and across industries why Dallas should be a part of building a better future for urban mobility,” Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said in a prepared statement.

Uber’s ambitious project comes as the company experienced a rapid growth in its revenue, but had a loss of $2.8 billion last year. The announcement also comes on the heels of a series of scandals at the company, including several top executives left the company.

Uber also faced widespread customer outrage earlier this year for a decision to keep operating at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, amid a taxicab boycott in response to President Donald Trump’s immigration ban.

Uber clarifies it plans for flying cars

AMandeep

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Dallas  Uber  Flying Vehicle  Texas  Fort Worth