Uber has already announced that test flights of the Uber Air will take place in Dallas-Fort Worth/Frisco Texas and Los Angeles in 2020 with commercial flights starting 2023.

Uber AIR: Here is everything you need to know

Launched in October 2016, Uber Elevate has developed into a partnership of experienced aircraft manufacturers, real estate and technology companies and even government agencies like NASA to create aircraft, infrastructure and SOPs for urban air mobility

Even as the world wraps its brains around the concept of autonomous cars, ride sharing company Uber is pushing for short trip air mobility services to start as early as 2023. It is bringing together a set of companies as part of its Uber Elevate programme, which aims to decongest the world’s top cities by offering quick and affordable aerial transportation options. Here is everything you want to know about Uber Elevate and Uber Air. 

What is Uber Elevate?

Launched in October 2016, Uber Elevate has developed into a partnership of experienced aircraft manufacturers, real estate and technology companies and even government agencies like NASA to create aircraft, infrastructure and SOPs for urban air mobility. The plan is to fly eVTOL (electric vertical take off and landing) aircraft on short distances of around 100 km, at speeds between 150-200 mph and cruising altitude of 1000-2000 feet on a single charge.

Uber has already announced that test flights of Uber Air will take place in Dallas-Fort Worth/Frisco Texas and Los Angeles in 2020 with commercial flights starting 2023. Last week, it announced that one city from among India, Japan, Australia, France and Brazil will be picked as the third, international, destination for Uber Air flights.

How will air mobility help cut congestion?

Uber wants to de-hyphenate transportation from surface transport which have always been path-based. Air mobility is node-based and each node can be connected to any of the other nodes. Uber cites the examples of India, where CST to Mumbai airport or a Gurgaon to Connaught Place commute would be reduced to just 10 minutes, thus saving the users at least two hours every day. Uber’s estimate is that urban congestion costs India alone $22 billion a year.

Uber COO Barney Harford told indianexpress.com: “Uber Air will be safe, reliable and, over time, cost effective. We believe that the model we are developing will make it accessible for many with price points that line up with the cost of getting an Uber X,” he says, but that will also depend on when the concept is able to “evolve from a piloted version to an autonomous one”.

What aircraft will Uber Air use?

Since helicopters were found to be costly, high maintenance and noisy, Uber is looking at a new type of aircraft for the Elevate programme. It is hoping that partner companies like Embraer, Bell, Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences, Pipistrel Aircraft and Karem will be able to come up with a sustainable prototype of an eVTOL aircraft by 2020.

This aircraft will be powered by battery, will take off and land vertically, fly the said distance on a single charge and have a certain amount of autonomous ability. Eric Allison, Head of Aviation Programmes at Uber, says the hope is that they can catalyse the industry by working with many partners for the product and infrastructure at the same time.

Since helicopters were found to be costly, high maintenance and noisy, Uber is looking at a new type of aircraft for the Elevate programme.

What are the major challenges?

There are many challenges at the moment. To start with, the type of aircraft itself has not been finalised — will it be a winged model, or something that works like a drone? Then there is the challenge around battery which should be able to sustain charge for a 100-km flight. Allison accepts that the first aircraft could be more hybrids because of the battery challenges.

Then there are the skyports where the aircraft will take off and land as well as be charged and maintained. These skyports have to be in central locations for the concept to take off and that will have a huge cost implication. Uber is trying to tide over this by planning the skyports as vertical structures in contrast to traditional airports.

The other major hurdle will be convincing city administration and aviation authorities to give the green signal for such a new concept. For now, Uber is suggesting that the Uber Air services will be restricted to an air corridor and won’t come in the way of other aircraft, especially since these are low flying.

Will the pricing be accessible for regular commuters?

In a market like India if Uber Air takes off in the next decade or so, the prices might still be prohibitive for the masses. But Allison says Even if there’s a smaller percentage of people that are able to afford at a certain price point, it still can be a very large absolute number (in India). Uber’s projections show that with enough scale Uber Air could gradually cost less than car ownership.

Then there are the skyports where the aircraft will take off and land as well as be charged and maintained. Uber is trying to tide over this by planning the skyports as vertical structures in contrast to traditional airports.

Also Read: World's First Flying Car Is Going On Sale And You Can Buy It Next Month For Rs 2.17 Crore!

Are flying cars new?

Not really. The first concepts are in fact over 75 years old. There are some models that are already capable of flight. However, Uber Elevate is the first end-to-end solution conceived around these aircraft. Also, Uber Air will be the first to use electric-powered aircraft which is yet to go beyond prototype stage.