Uber unveils its flying taxi prototype

Uber Technologies has recently collaborated with NASA to present a new concept aircraft that will help you commute with company’s most talked about flying taxi. The flying taxi will reduce your hour-long commute to work to just a few minutes.

The company has just unveiled a prototype of drone-like flying car, following its plan to launch world’s first commercially available air-taxi service by 2023. The aircraft is named electrical vertical take-off and landing vehicles (or eVTOL) was designed keeping in mind a rider-first mentality as per Uber.

The future plans of the company include operating a network of small, electric, aircraft in numerous cities across the world. This will let them operate the four-person ride-sharing flights in populated urban markets.

The eVTOL aircraft comprises four sets of stacked propellers to accommodate four people and also for takeoffs and landings for safe transition between vertical and forward flight.

With one time charging, the aircraft can fly a total of 60 miles at 150-200 miles every hour. The recharging will be done in five minutes.

Jalwon Shin from NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate said in a statement that Urban air mobility had the potential to revolutionize the way people commute and cargo moves in the cities and it will change lifestyles of people just like smartphones have done.

This is not limited to shorter commutes and faster service. According to Uber, the service would expand route options and the development of landing and takeoff pads would be cost-effective than building roads and bridges.

These VTOLs do not require to follow a fixed route, unlike trains or buses. So, if there is a lot of rush, there can be a serious delay that people have to experience. So, you can save a lot of time with VTOLs. The company sees commercialization of flying taxis in next 5 years.