Uber’s ‘flying cars’ could arrive in LA by 2020

Uber announced today, November 8, 2017, the next generating in it's ride-for-hire model: flying cars, called Elevate.  

In a speech at the Web Summit in Lisbon today, Uber’s head of product Jeff Holden announced that the company is adding a third city, Los Angeles, to its list of places where it hopes to pilot its aerial taxi service by 2020. LA joins Dallas-Fort Worth and Dubai as cities announced to be working with Uber on the program.

Uber has signed a Space Act Agreement with NASA to create a brand-new air traffic control system to manage these low-flying, possibly autonomous aircraft.

Holden argued that even without a demonstrable product, Uber Elevate is indeed closer than many people think. Holden said that Uber wouldn’t have to wait for 2020 before it starts testing things out IRL. The company aims to begin operating a fleet of low-flying helicopters around Dallas-Fort Worth Airport — while working with air traffic controllers to not encroach on their flight paths — as a way to test NASA’s UTM system.

Once approved for commercial use, trips could cost as little as $20. 
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