Uber
A mock-up of what Uber expects its "vertiports" to look like.
The company debuted its new project for electric aircraft that takes off and lands vertically in a white paper it published Thursday. Dubbed Uber Elevate, the project aims to have the aircraft in cities by the year 2026.
The aircraft would be used to shorten commute times in busy cities, without the noise and pollution of helicopters. The vehicles would be able to travel at about 150 mph for up to 100 miles and carry multiple people, including a pilot, according to a piece about the project from Wired's Alex Davies. While the first vehicles will be ready by 2021, the expected roll-out date is 2026.
Uber doesn't plan to make their own vehicles, but will instead partner with other companies and the government to make it happen.
Uber's plans for the project are published in a 98-page document that outlines the feasibility of bringing the planes to market, how the vehicles will work from a technical standpoint, and how Uber plans to work within other constrains like weather conditions and government regulations.
You can read them in full below:
Uber Elevate by Avery Hartmans on Scribd