Here’s What Uber’s First Flying Taxis Might Look Like…

Is the future freaking you out, just a bit?

When people say things like “we’ll have supersonic flights by 2026, or flying cars by 2023” it sounds far fetched – and last year, it sounded futuristic. But as the world begins writing 2019 into their cheque books, things like 2020 sound all too soon. For flying car enthusiasts, perhaps not soon enough. Uber laid bold claim that flying cars would begin testing in 2020 and now the first designs have been unveiled…

2020 Flying Car Test Flights

Could Burbank to Santa Monica become a 15 minute commute for all? Uber is said to have already negotiated landing spaces throughout Southern California, which will more than likely serve as the first test markets for flying cars, somewhere around the year 2023. Test vehicles will begin proving flights in 2020.

For now, picture a giant drone, with a glass bubble in the middle. Bell has long been a stalwart in the helicopter market and is an early design partner of Uber Air, Uber’s exploratory “flying taxi” arm. Quite a few major firms, including Airbus, are vying for the business of supplying Uber with the world’s first flying taxis, a neat tag line to add under any company masthead. Bell debuted a full sized model this week in Las Vegas. While this early model would likely feature a “pilot”, it’s no secret that automation advances will eventually bring self driving flying cars. Challenges regarding air taxis are abundant, but the technology isn’t nearly as far fetched as many would believe, and it *could* over time make ride sharing even more affordable. Many of the early Uber Air designs feature electric engines, which would cut down on fuel costs while also boosting environmental efforts. This first unveiling would feature hybrid electric engines, and has been dubbed “Nexus”. How futuristic of them…

HT: Business Traveller