Uber
Uber wants to take its ride-hailing service to the skies.At an event in Dallas on Tuesday, Uber announced the partners that will help launch its Uber Elevate flying taxi service in 2020. Uber will rely on 5 partners to build the electric aircraft while the company develops Uber Air, an in-app feature that will allow consumers to request flights.
Uber's entrance into the flying taxi space occurs in the midst of a tumultuous year. The company has been accused of using location-tracking software to keep tabs on regulatory bodies, promoting a sexist work environment, and stealing self-driving technology from Google.
But as Uber fights the Google lawsuit and looks to revamp its image with the addition of a new COO and internal investigation, the company is full-speed ahead on Uber Elevate, which has an interesting mix of partners. Uber ultimately wants to build an electric Vertical Take-Off Landing (VTOL) aircraft that, like the name suggests, doesn't need a runway to take off.
Here are the companies helping Uber make its flying taxi vision a reality: