A Dutch company that recently ran a successful test trial for a flying vehicle it manufactures, has already linked up with an electric vehicle charging station maker in the U.S., and Uber has been paying close attention, as it rolls out plans to bring a vertical takeoff and landing [VTOL] aircraft to customers as early as 2020.
The PAL-V and ChargePoint Inc. partnership has positioned itself to be responsible for bringing the first flying vehicles to the commercial market. Five other aircraft manufacturers are in the running as well, with Bell Helicopters, Aurora Flight Sciences, Pipistrel Aircraft, Embraer, and Mooney all reported to be working on economical four passenger vehicles that can travel by air. With PAL-V already accepting pre-orders for its model, Uber has conjured up plans to acquire a fleet of flying cars so that it may add an air-taxi option to its service.
Uber has announced that it will be carrying out its own trials in Dallas and Dubai, with plans to reserve the service for bigger cities, where it would be convenient to have a vehicle that could drop down vertically, to pick up and leave off passengers, then lift to take flight over traffic. The ultimate goal would be to have the vehicles be self-flying, with the company stating that it endeavors to "enable customers in the future to push a button and get a high-speed flight in and around cities."
Source: appsforpcdaily.com
