Uber unveiled a flying taxi eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) prototype at its recent Elevate conference. The prototype (below) is a cross between a really big drone and a small airplane.
Four drone/helicopter style rotors driven by electric motors provide vertical lift, bringing the vehicle to its cruising altitude. Once airborne the eVTOL switches over to fixed-wing operation with its wings providing lift and a propeller in the tail providing thrust.
The multiple rotor/propeller configuration has several advantages over traditional helicopters. First, it is quieter than using one large rotor. This is obviously important given that Uber is planning on using their air taxi service in urban areas.
Second, fixed wing aircraft are more efficient than helicopters. Using a traditional propeller and fixed wings extends the flying time and range of the electrically driven flying taxi.
Uber is not going to build this prototype. Instead, it's meant as a reference design for Uber’s manufacturing partners, which include Bell Helicopters, Embraer, Pipistrel and many others. More than 70 companies are working on eVTOLs.
Uber is planning on starting limited air taxi service in Dallas and Los Angeles in the 2020 time frame. They're also looking for more test cities.
There are still a number of major hurdles Uber and others have to get over prior to launching their air taxi system (air traffic control being a big one). So don't be surprised if it doesn't happen by 2020.
But it's clear the technology has advanced to the point where air taxi services are going to happen in the relatively near future.
See Techcrunch's Uber's Ariel Taxi Play for more details.
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