Uber Announces Plans for a Fleet of Flying Cars

The multibillion-dollar firm wants to work with industry leaders to build on-demand urban electric vehicles that take off and land vertically within the next decade

A rendering of an Uber Elevate, an on-demand urban electric vehicle that would take off and land vertically.Courtesy of Uber

Uber's business is reaching new heights—literally. The Silicon Valley firm has just announced plans to create a global fleet of flying cars within the next decade. Dubbed Uber Elevate, the company's new service will rely on urban electric vehicles that take off and land vertically. As outlandish as the concept sounds, it's actually very doable. With such milestones as the recent Solar Impulse 2 (which broke records this summer by flying around the globe without the use of fuel), aviation experts believe VTAL (vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft will be ready within the next five years or so. In fact, the main barrier keeping this technology from getting off the ground is the government. As it stands, the FAA has no rules in place to certify electric airplanes. Furthermore, there are currently no plans or policies to ensure VTAL aircraft steer clear of defined, traditional flight paths of larger airplanes. 
Another interesting part of today's announcement was the fact that Uber has no interest in actually building the flying cars itself. Instead, the multibillion-dollar company is asking industry leaders to brainstorm ways to make its vision a reality. And why would these leaders work with Uber when they could be doing this on their own? Well, it's simple. Uber currently has access to upward of ten million customers who will almost certainly be interested in trying the new technology once it has been made and clears all safety regulations. It's also worth noting that today's announcement gave no indication as to whether surge pricing would take effect in the air.
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