Uber Wants to Put Flying Taxis in the Sky by 2020
Uber is looking towards the future of transportation with plans to send taxis into the sky by as early as 2020.
The brand announced its plan to deploy a fleet of small electric aircraft that are able to take off and land vertically, all while spewing zero emissions and little to no noise. Uber says that the travel time from San Francisco’s Marina to downtown San Jose will be cut to about 15 minutes, down from roughly the two hours it takes to get there by driving.
A price structure has also been announced, with Uber saying that the company could feasibly charge $1.32 per passenger per mile, which means a 20 mile trip for two people would cost $52.80. Eventually, Uber plans to have its flying taxis be cheaper than owning a personal car.
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Two areas have already been identified as the initial launch cities: Dallas and Dubai. Uber is already working with companies in Dallas to build four vertiports, hubs where the small taxis can take off from, land, and charge when not in use.
In the middle east, Uber has partnered with the government in Dubai and expects to offer passenger flights at the World Expo 2020 taking place in the city.
[Source: Autoblog]
Stephen covers all of the day-to-day events of the industry as the News Editor at AutoGuide, along with being the AG truck expert. His truck knowledge comes from working long days on the woodlot with pickups and driving straight trucks professionally. When not at his desk, Steve can be found playing his bass or riding his snowmobile or Sea-Doo. Find Stephen on <A title="@Selmer07 on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/selmer07">Twitter</A> and <A title="Stephen on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/117833131531784822251?rel=author">Google+</A>
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Riiiight... good luck with this one, guys.