Uber Air designs for skyports and air taxis revealed at Uber Elevate
If all goes according to plan, Uber Air flying taxis will take off in Dallas, Los Angeles, and Melbourne in 2023, the company announced at its annual Uber Elevate Summit on Wednesday. Think of it like Uber Pool in the sky (but definitely not as cheap).
The electric VTOLs (vertical take-off and landing vehicles) are similar to a helicopter, and will carry four passengers at low altitude from skyports in each metro area. Test flights are slated to begin next year—with cautious FAA approval. The agency's acting administrator Dan Elwell spoke at the conference Tuesday and shared his thoughts on Uber Air in a string of tweets.
Tweet may have been deleted
Uber unveiled looks for the taxi network's skyports from architecture and engineering firms Gensler, Corgan, SHoP, Pickard Chilton, and Arup.
The short flights will start at $5 per mile, so a 20-mile trip would add up to about $100. Eventually the cost will go down, Uber Elevate officials anticipate.
Here's a breakdown of costs compared to Uber's other ride options:
In Dallas, Corgan laid out a "Connection Plaza" below the flight deck with two flight pads and five charging stations for the aircraft. Stores, restaurants, bike and scooter charging, parks, and fountains are part of the airport design.
A Dallas skyport.Credit: uberGensler and SHoP put together designs for LA-area skyports. Gensler’s Cityspace concept is a shopping, eating, and hang-out space. SHoP's Arc design incorporates solar panels to generate energy for the skyport, and would allow for 72 eVTOL trips per hour.
Gensler's design for an LA skyport.Credit: uberSHoP is a futuristic design for an LA skyport.Credit: uberMelbourne was just announced as the third and only international city for Uber Air to test air travel. The skyport design there is a "Sky Loft" made from renewable resources like wood. A lounge, shopping area, and Jump bikes and scooters stations are below the flight deck.
A design for Melbourne.Credit: uberThen there's the aircraft itself. Uber's working with manufacturers from Aurora Flight Sciences (which is part of Boeing), Pipistrel Aircraft, Embraer, Bell, and Karem Aircraft to create an electric passenger drone. On Wednesday, Uber showed what these aircraft would look like inside.
Designs from aircraft interior company Safran (think airplane overhead bins, galleys, and lavatories) show a compact, sleek interior that would work with aircraft from several manufacturers.
Uber Air is eVTOLs instead of cars.Credit: uberLook inside the cabin.Credit: uberThe cabin is designed to seat four passengers and their baggage along with space for a pilot or another crew member. At first, a pilot will be in the aircraft controlling the vehicle, but eventually would just be a safety pilot for the autonomous craft.
Room for four fliers.Credit: uberIt's like a shared ride, but 1,000 miles up in the air -- and, cruising at 150 mph, way faster.
Featured Video For You
Air taxi could fly you (and your friends) from NYC to Boston in an hour on a single charge
-
Travel Back in Time and Uncover OldA whole bunch of cows are loose on a Georgia highwayDonald Trump Jr mocks Kavanaugh accuser with vile, nonsensical memeDonald Trump Jr swam in a swamp full of gators who declined to eat himFord can make your Mustang Mach三大主题 推动学习实践取得新成果How Anita punched her way to gloryEssential is working on getting rid of the notchHow to watch 'Kinds of Kindness': When is it streaming?North Korean defector organization to establish monitoring center for North Korea's WMD
- ·The Eyes of Lacy
- ·Halep storms into Birmingham semi
- ·Donald Trump Jr swam in a swamp full of gators who declined to eat him
- ·Silicon Valley heavyweights will be advising Donald Trump
- ·Scientists detect water sloshing on Mars. There could be a lot.
- ·Seoul City vows to build more schools for disabled
- ·Americans 'waiting' for North Korea's gift
- ·Chrissy Teigen reveals we've been saying her name wrong this entire time
- ·iPhone 16 Pro new color will reportedly be Desert Titanium
- ·Donald Trump Jr mocks Kavanaugh accuser with vile, nonsensical meme
- ·PGA, LIV Golf stars battle for major title at US Open
- ·Richard Sherman thinks Thursday Night Football is an 'absolute poopfest'
- ·12 Sculptures Made From Recycled Materials
- ·Otto Warmbier parents in South Korea: Death of son was 'intentional act'
- ·Deportation of North Korean fishermen
- ·Google Pixel Buds may get customizable tap gestures
- ·Webb scientists haven't found a rocky world with air. But now they have a plan.
- ·为农产品加工提速,天业冷链助肇庆砂糖桔“鲜”行
- ·Google Pixel Buds may get customizable tap gestures
- ·First look at Android P: Google goes all
- ·雅安市举办首届“文轩教育”校园足球精英夏令营
- ·Elon Musk says Boring Company tunnels are not primarily for cars
- ·Boehly wary of FFP impact on transfer business
- ·PGA, LIV Golf stars battle for major title at US Open
- ·Apple Watch bands: 5 favorites to consider as Apple Watch 10 looms
- ·Deportation of North Korean fishermen
- ·Blinken condemns Russia
- ·2023年度“粤字号”农业品牌目录名单公示
- ·Parties divided over appointing parliamentary committee chairpersons
- ·New USFK chief reaffirms nuclear umbrella commitment to S. Korea
- ·Blinken condemns Russia
- ·Nketiah signs new Arsenal deal
- ·Apple patents a crumb
- ·Google Arts and Culture uses machine learning to make art accessible
- ·Webb telescope discovers 6 rogue worlds. They didn't form the way you'd expect.
- ·三大主题 推动学习实践取得新成果