UBER CLAIMS IT’LL BE TESTING A FLYING TAXI NETWORK IN TEXAS BY 2020 Meanwhile, in Dallas: Uber announced yesterday that the company plans to have a set of flying taxis called the Uber Elevate Network in testing stages in both the DFW area and Dubai in about 3 years. If everything goes as planned, the network would deploy VTOLs (that’s vertical take-off and landing vehicles, which mix elements of a small helicopter and a plane) that run entirely on electricity. Uber’s set to work with Dallas-based Hillwood Properties to develop landing sites equipped with recharging stations — though the technology for VTOLs themselves still has to be developed, too. [Texas Tribune; more here; previously on Swamplot]
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I think Uber has jumped the shark. They are getting more and more pushback from municipalities all over the world, state and federal regulations are not far behind, they’re in trouble with the IRS, their CEO acts like an overgrown child, and they’re still losing money every day. Not to mention drivers are finally realizing it’s all just a big con. They need to start worrying about survival, not flying cars.
This is ludicrous, I’m calling the top, peak Uber, peak 2000s-style losertech, right here right now.
Some folks can never get that Jetsons image out of their heads. The people proposing this need to sit down with the Federal Aviation Regulations and attempt to figure out how they could possibly pull this off, and remain in compliance with existing flight rules. Especially in large metro areas with heavy aircraft traffic at multiple airports. A SW 737 taking out one of these toys is considerably more than a “fender bender”.
From the description, it sounds like it’s a foregone conclusion that the future rich will have to chopper across the city Rio-de-Janeiro-style. These electric choppers will not be for ordinary folks.