A British court is hearing a case against an Indian-origin man accused of conspiring to kill the Queen Elizabeth II. The 21-year-old claims he was encouraged to execute the plan by Artificial Intelligence-powered chatbot.

AI encouraging high profile assassinations | Will flying cars become reality?

Have you ever wondered what cars of the future will look like? Undoubtedly, the future of cars seems fascinating. This is how cars will look in future.

This is how cars will look in future: steering wheel-less, self-driving, flying, solar-powered

This is how cars will look in future: steering wheel-less, self-driving, flying

In pics: This is how cars will look in future

Did you know Waldo Waterman an American aviation pioneer built the world's first flying automobile in 1934 as a concept. Flying cars have been talked about for centuries, they have long been a staple of science fiction but now may become a reality.

The future of air mobility: How close are we to flying taxis?

Japanese automaker Suzuki and 'flying car' firm SkyDrive Inc said, "they have signed a deal to team up in research, development and marketing of electric, vertical takeoff and landing aircraft."

Japanese automaker Suzuki signs deal with SkyDrive to develop 'flying cars'

Did you know Waldo Waterman, an American aviation pioneer, built the world's first flying automobile in 1934? As a concept, flying cars have been talked about for centuries. They have long been a staple of science fiction. But now, after years of hype, real-life electric flying cars, not just prototypes, may soon hit the skies.

German startup Volocopter plans to launch electric air taxis in Singapore in 2024.

Australian firms have placed orders for 90 electric aircraft from Embraer's electric aircraft subsidiary, Eve.

Klein Vision’s “AirCar” has been issued a certificate of airworthiness by the Slovak Transport Authority — meaning it has the official okay to fly around in its home country.

Morgan Stanley analysts estimate the potential market for electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles could be worth $1 trillion by 2040.

Well-established aviation and automotive industry players are betting big on urban air mobility, but there are several roadblocks they must overcome.

Battery technology issues

When it comes to flying vehicles, one of the biggest challenges is the battery that powers them. You can’t power them with today’s automotive batteries, which are designed for ground transport. Batteries for flying cars need to be of very high-energy density so that they can stay aloft in the air for a good amount of time. They also need very high-power during the vertical take-off and landing.

Weight is also a consideration for these batteries. These futuristic taxis will be making multiple trips in a day to be profitable. So, they need batteries that can quickly recharge.

Until the batteries are made more viable, a widespread rollout of flying taxis is unlikely in the near future.

Shortage of pilots

Another concern around flying electric cars is the pilot workforce.

Most of these vehicles will need pilots initially, at least until pilotless operations become widespread.

It’s said these vehicles will eventually fly autonomously, but that could take a decade or more. So, recruiting and deploying pilots will add to training burdens and costs.

McKinsey estimates that electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle operators will need to attract and train roughly 60,000 pilots by 2028 — it equates to 7% of all commercial pilots in 2018

This is an important challenge, but much less discussed than other issues associated with urban air mobility.

Infrastructure and regulatory challenges

According to analysts, there is a need to drive down costs of these flying cars so that they serve as more than just a quieter helicopter replacement for the ultra-wealthy.

Strict safety requirements need to be in place, especially for operating in dense urban environments.

Noise is another critical issue. There are fears flying vehicles will increase noise levels over cities.

And then there are the infrastructure challenges. Adding new transportation capacity in most cities is not easy; it's extremely expensive and space may be hard to come by.

These issues need to be addressed before these vehicles gain widespread approval.

Did you know Waldo Waterman, an American aviation pioneer, built the world's first flying automobile in 1934? As a concept, flying cars have been talked about for centuries.

Did you know Waldo Waterman, an American aviation pioneer, built the world's first flying automobile in 1934? As a concept, flying cars have been talked about for centuries. They have long been a staple of science fiction. But now, after years of hype, real-life electric flying cars, not just prototypes, may soon hit the skies. German startup Volocopter plans to launch electric air taxis in Singapore in 2024. Australian firms have placed orders for 90 electric aircraft from Embraer's electric aircraft subsidiary, Eve. Klein Vision’s “AirCar” has been issued a certificate of airworthiness by the Slovak Transport Authority — meaning it has the official okay to fly around in its home country. Morgan Stanley analysts estimate the potential market for electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles could be worth $1 trillion by 2040. Well-established aviation and automotive industry players are betting big on urban air mobility, but there are several roadblocks they must overcome. Battery technology issues When it comes to flying vehicles, one of the biggest challenges is the battery that powers them. You can’t power them with today’s automotive batteries, which are designed for ground transport. Batteries for flying cars need to be of very high-energy density so that they can stay aloft in the air for a good amount of time. They also need very high-power during the vertical take-off and landing. Weight is also a consideration for these batteries. These futuristic taxis will be making multiple trips in a day to be profitable. So, they need batteries that can quickly recharge. Until the batteries are made more viable, a widespread rollout of flying taxis is unlikely in the near future. Shortage of pilots Another concern around flying electric cars is the pilot workforce. Most of these vehicles will need pilots initially, at least until pilotless operations become widespread. It’s said these vehicles will eventually fly autonomously, but that could take a decade or more. So, recruiting and deploying pilots will add to training burdens and costs. McKinsey estimates that electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle operators will need to attract and train roughly 60,000 pilots by 2028 — it equates to 7% of all commercial pilots in 2018 This is an important challenge, but much less discussed than other issues associated with urban air mobility. Infrastructure and regulatory challenges According to analysts, there is a need to drive down costs of these flying cars so that they serve as more than just a quieter helicopter replacement for the ultra-wealthy. Strict safety requirements need to be in place, especially for operating in dense urban environments. Noise is another critical issue. There are fears flying vehicles will increase noise levels over cities. And then there are the infrastructure challenges. Adding new transportation capacity in most cities is not easy; it's extremely expensive and space may be hard to come by. These issues need to be addressed before these vehicles gain widespread approval.

Why flying cars are not on the market yet

Flying taxis could be coming to our cities as early as 2024. The flying cars will connect major airports to city centers. They will reduce travel time to a fourth, and will be much cheaper than a helicopter ride. Palki Sharma brings you a report.

Gravitas: Flying taxis could be a reality in 2024

A Japanese startup, known as A.L.I. Technologies, has launched a hoverbike worth $680,000 to target supercar users.

Backed by soccer player Keisuke Honda and electronics giant Mitsubishi, the hoverbike is called ''XTurismo Limited Edition.''

It is environment friendly and on a single charge can fly at a top speed of 100km/hr. It is equipped with a conventional engine and four battery-powered motors.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/want-a-flying-car-you-may-take-a-look-at-jetson-one-424234">Also read |&nbsp;Want a flying car? You may take a look at Jetson One</a>

Resting on landing skids when stationary, the black and red hoverbike consists of a motorcycle-like body on top of propellers.

According to Chief Executive Daisuke Katano, ''Until now the choice has been to move on the ground or at scale in the sky. We hope to offer a new method of movement.''

Commercial success for A.L.I. Technologies, whose suppliers include engine maker Kawasaki Heavy, would help reinforce Japan's industrial edge amid a generational shift towards new technology such as autonomous and electric vehicles.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/future-of-racing-full-size-flying-race-car-takes-first-flight-392179">Also read |&nbsp;'Future of racing': Full-size flying race car takes first flight</a>

The growth of sectors like ride-sharing has been hobbled due to Japan's strict regulations driven by safety concerns. The country faces the problem of overcrowding as Tokyo alone has 13.5 million residents.

Uber along with aviation corporations as well as venture capitalists are also investing heavily in the burgeoning flying automotive industry, which analysts say could be worth as much as $1.5 trillion by 2040.

Global sales of electric vehicles (EVs), estimated at 2.5 million vehicles in 2020, are forecast to grow more than 12-fold to 31.1 million by 2030 and account for nearly a third of new vehicle sales, as per consulting firm Deloitte.

Promising an era of personal air transportation from jetpacks to flying taxis, funding is flowing to startups from California-based Joby Aviation to Israel's AIR.&nbsp;

A Japanese startup, known as A.L.I. Technologies, has launched a hoverbike worth $680,000 to target supercar users. Backed by soccer player Keisuke Honda and electronics giant Mitsubishi, the hoverbike is called ''XTurismo Limited Edition.

A Japanese startup, known as A.L.I. Technologies, has launched a hoverbike worth $680,000 to target supercar users. Backed by soccer player Keisuke Honda and electronics giant Mitsubishi, the hoverbike is called ''XTurismo Limited Edition.'' It is environment friendly and on a single charge can fly at a top speed of 100km/hr. It is equipped with a conventional engine and four battery-powered motors. Also read | Want a flying car? You may take a look at Jetson One Resting on landing skids when stationary, the black and red hoverbike consists of a motorcycle-like body on top of propellers. According to Chief Executive Daisuke Katano, ''Until now the choice has been to move on the ground or at scale in the sky. We hope to offer a new method of movement.'' Commercial success for A.L.I. Technologies, whose suppliers include engine maker Kawasaki Heavy, would help reinforce Japan's industrial edge amid a generational shift towards new technology such as autonomous and electric vehicles. Also read | 'Future of racing': Full-size flying race car takes first flight The growth of sectors like ride-sharing has been hobbled due to Japan's strict regulations driven by safety concerns. The country faces the problem of overcrowding as Tokyo alone has 13.5 million residents. Uber along with aviation corporations as well as venture capitalists are also investing heavily in the burgeoning flying automotive industry, which analysts say could be worth as much as $1.5 trillion by 2040. Global sales of electric vehicles (EVs), estimated at 2.5 million vehicles in 2020, are forecast to grow more than 12-fold to 31.1 million by 2030 and account for nearly a third of new vehicle sales, as per consulting firm Deloitte. Promising an era of personal air transportation from jetpacks to flying taxis, funding is flowing to startups from California-based Joby Aviation to Israel's AIR.

Get, set, go: Japanese startup launches hoverbike worth $680,000

Around the globe flying cars can be a reality by the end of this decade. According to South Korean carmaker brand Hyundai, flying cars can help cut vehicle emissions and reduce congestion on the streets.

According to Hyundai’s chief executive of the European operations, Michael Cole, the car making firm had made some “very significant investments” in urban air mobility, and they “believe it really is part of the future”.

However, according to Cole, there’s still some time before this can become a reality.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/tech-it-out-flying-cars-the-future-of-urban-mobility-394465/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

“We think that by the latter part of this decade certainly, urban air mobility will offer great opportunity to free up congestion in cities, to help with emissions, whether that’s intra-city mobility in the air or whether it’s even between cities.”

Talking at a conference of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, an&nbsp;industry&nbsp;group, he said that this technology is a, “part of our future solution of offering innovative, smart mobility solutions.”

In Las Vegas, January last year, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Hyundai had unveiled a flying car concept the firm has developed in partnership with Uber.

Hyundai is also a part of a project involving the UK’s&nbsp;first airport without a runway. The airport that is scheduled to open in Coventry later this year, has been designed for aircraft that are capable of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) and could be used by aircraft like air taxis along with Autonomous delivery drones.

Around the globe flying cars can be a reality by the end of this decade. According to South Korean carmaker brand Hyundai, flying cars can help cut vehicle emissions and reduce congestion on the streets.

Around the globe flying cars can be a reality by the end of this decade. According to South Korean carmaker brand Hyundai, flying cars can help cut vehicle emissions and reduce congestion on the streets. According to Hyundai’s chief executive of the European operations, Michael Cole, the car making firm had made some “very significant investments” in urban air mobility, and they “believe it really is part of the future”. However, according to Cole, there’s still some time before this can become a reality. “We think that by the latter part of this decade certainly, urban air mobility will offer great opportunity to free up congestion in cities, to help with emissions, whether that’s intra-city mobility in the air or whether it’s even between cities.” Talking at a conference of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, an industry group, he said that this technology is a, “part of our future solution of offering innovative, smart mobility solutions.” In Las Vegas, January last year, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Hyundai had unveiled a flying car concept the firm has developed in partnership with Uber. Hyundai is also a part of a project involving the UK’s first airport without a runway. The airport that is scheduled to open in Coventry later this year, has been designed for aircraft that are capable of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) and could be used by aircraft like air taxis along with Autonomous delivery drones.

Flying cars can be a reality by the end of this decade: Hyundai

Flying cars are touted as the future of urban mobility. While we didn't see a lot of action in this space last year, possibly due to the coronavirus pandemic, things are finally zipping along.

Tech It Out | Flying cars: The future of urban mobility

The decades-old dream of zipping around in the sky as simply as driving on highways may be becoming a reality faster than we thought.

A full-size pilotless 'flying race car' has taken to the sky for the first time ahead of remotely piloted races to be held later this year at three international locations still to be revealed.

The Alauda Mk3's first flight brings the company's goal of an electric flying car Grand Prix, one step closer.

"It is a momentous day," founder and chief executive of Adelaide-based Alauda Aeronautics, Matt Pearson, said in an interview.

"To be able to showcase the Mark 3 to the world and show that flying car racing is just around the corner."

The Mk3 Airspeeder is a multicopter craft based on a Formula 1 car and has a greater thrust-to-weight ratio than an F15 fighter jet, according to Alauda.

Pearson's eventual plan is the Airspeeder Race Series of piloted multicopters, but he is using their EXA Series, with remotely controlled Mark 3s, as a proving ground.

"The EXA Series will always be a feeder series to the main Airspeeder event and the crewed racing that's coming. And the cool thing is it'll always be with full-size vehicles, fully functional electric flying cars, just remotely piloted for now," Pearson said.

Battery sizes, air traffic control, and other infrastructure issues are among the many potential challenges to commercialising them.

The pilots will remotely race on augmented reality sky-tracks visible to an audience watching via a digital stream.

"We don't need a track," Pearson said, "but it's important to convey what's going on to the audience at home."

Alauda Aeronautics are themselves involved in a race to be the first of several companies hoping to race manned drones or eVTOL vehicles.

Air Race E has partnered with European planemaker Airbus to launch races of 3 different classes of electric aircraft including eVTOL.

The Spanish entrepreneur behind city-based electric racing series, Formula E and off-road Extreme E, Alejandro Agag, is also considering electric air racing.

Pearson believes racing electric flying cars will hasten the development of eVTOL advanced air mobility craft, a market that Alauda Aeronautics wants a share of.

"I looked back at what happened 100 years ago," Pearson said.

"In the last great mobility revolutions when the dawn of the automobile and the airplane and what accelerated that? What drove acceptance? What drove technology? It was always racing. If you go back far enough the first application is always racing."

(With inputs from agencies)

The decades-old dream of zipping around in the sky as simply as driving on highways may be becoming a reality faster than we thought. A full-size pilotless 'flying race car' has taken to the sky for the first time ahead of remotely piloted races to be held later this year at three international locations still to be revealed.

The decades-old dream of zipping around in the sky as simply as driving on highways may be becoming a reality faster than we thought. A full-size pilotless 'flying race car' has taken to the sky for the first time ahead of remotely piloted races to be held later this year at three international locations still to be revealed. The Alauda Mk3's first flight brings the company's goal of an electric flying car Grand Prix, one step closer. "It is a momentous day," founder and chief executive of Adelaide-based Alauda Aeronautics, Matt Pearson, said in an interview. "To be able to showcase the Mark 3 to the world and show that flying car racing is just around the corner." The Mk3 Airspeeder is a multicopter craft based on a Formula 1 car and has a greater thrust-to-weight ratio than an F15 fighter jet, according to Alauda. Pearson's eventual plan is the Airspeeder Race Series of piloted multicopters, but he is using their EXA Series, with remotely controlled Mark 3s, as a proving ground. "The EXA Series will always be a feeder series to the main Airspeeder event and the crewed racing that's coming. And the cool thing is it'll always be with full-size vehicles, fully functional electric flying cars, just remotely piloted for now," Pearson said. Battery sizes, air traffic control, and other infrastructure issues are among the many potential challenges to commercialising them. The pilots will remotely race on augmented reality sky-tracks visible to an audience watching via a digital stream. "We don't need a track," Pearson said, "but it's important to convey what's going on to the audience at home." Alauda Aeronautics are themselves involved in a race to be the first of several companies hoping to race manned drones or eVTOL vehicles. Air Race E has partnered with European planemaker Airbus to launch races of 3 different classes of electric aircraft including eVTOL. The Spanish entrepreneur behind city-based electric racing series, Formula E and off-road Extreme E, Alejandro Agag, is also considering electric air racing. Pearson believes racing electric flying cars will hasten the development of eVTOL advanced air mobility craft, a market that Alauda Aeronautics wants a share of. "I looked back at what happened 100 years ago," Pearson said. "In the last great mobility revolutions when the dawn of the automobile and the airplane and what accelerated that? What drove acceptance? What drove technology? It was always racing. If you go back far enough the first application is always racing." (With inputs from agencies)

'Future of racing': Full-size flying race car takes first flight

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/hyundai-motor-to-invest-15-billion-in-indonesia-factory-264852">Hyundai</a> announced Monday it would mass-produce flying cars for Uber's aerial rideshare network set to deploy in 2023.

The South Korean manufacturer said it would produce the four-passenger electric "vertical take-off and landing vehicles" at "automotive scale," without offering details.

The deal announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas could help Uber, which is working with other aircraft manufacturers, to achieve its goal of deploying air taxi service in a handful of cities by 2023.

Watch:&nbsp;Uber's futuristic flying taxi; a cross between helicopter and a drone

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-your-story-ubers-futuristic-flying-taxi-a-cross-between-helicopter-and-a-drone-135786/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Jaiwon Shin, head of Hyundai's urban air mobility division, said he expects the large-scale manufacturing to keep costs affordable for the aerial systems.

"We know how to mass produce high quality vehicles," Shin told a news conference at CES.

He said he expected the partnership to allow for the short-range air taxis to be "affordable for everyone."

Eric Allison, head of Uber Elevate, appeared at the CES event with Hyundai to discuss the partnership.

"By taking transportation out of the two dimensional grid on the ground and moving it into the sky, we can offer significant time savings to our riders," Allison said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/hyundai-motor-group-to-invest-35-billion-in-future-automotive-tech-256032">Hyundai Motor Group to invest $35 billion in future automotive tech</a>

He said that because of its other app-based transport options, "only Uber can seamlessly connect riders from cars, trains and even bikes to aircraft."

Uber has announced it had selected Melbourne to join Dallas and Los Angeles in becoming the first cities to offer Uber Air flights, with the goal of beginning demonstrator flights in 2020 and commercial operations in 2023.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/hyundai-motor-group-to-invest-35-billion-in-future-automotive-tech-256032">Hyundai is using CES</a> to show the S-A1 model aircraft with a cruising speed up to 180 miles (290 km) per hour.

The aircraft utilizes "distributed electric propulsion," designed with multiple rotors that can keep it in the air if one of them fails.

The smaller rotors also help reduce noise, which the companies said is important to cities.

The Hyundai vehicle will be piloted initially but over time will become autonomous, the company said.&nbsp;

Hyundai announced Monday it would mass-produce flying cars for Uber's aerial rideshare network set to deploy in 2023. The South Korean manufacturer said it would produce the four-passenger electric "vertical take-off and landing vehicles" at "automotive scale," without offering details.

Hyundai announced Monday it would mass-produce flying cars for Uber's aerial rideshare network set to deploy in 2023. The South Korean manufacturer said it would produce the four-passenger electric "vertical take-off and landing vehicles" at "automotive scale," without offering details. The deal announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas could help Uber, which is working with other aircraft manufacturers, to achieve its goal of deploying air taxi service in a handful of cities by 2023. Watch: Uber's futuristic flying taxi; a cross between helicopter and a drone Jaiwon Shin, head of Hyundai's urban air mobility division, said he expects the large-scale manufacturing to keep costs affordable for the aerial systems. "We know how to mass produce high quality vehicles," Shin told a news conference at CES. He said he expected the partnership to allow for the short-range air taxis to be "affordable for everyone." Eric Allison, head of Uber Elevate, appeared at the CES event with Hyundai to discuss the partnership. "By taking transportation out of the two dimensional grid on the ground and moving it into the sky, we can offer significant time savings to our riders," Allison said. Also read: Hyundai Motor Group to invest $35 billion in future automotive tech He said that because of its other app-based transport options, "only Uber can seamlessly connect riders from cars, trains and even bikes to aircraft." Uber has announced it had selected Melbourne to join Dallas and Los Angeles in becoming the first cities to offer Uber Air flights, with the goal of beginning demonstrator flights in 2020 and commercial operations in 2023. Hyundai is using CES to show the S-A1 model aircraft with a cruising speed up to 180 miles (290 km) per hour. The aircraft utilizes "distributed electric propulsion," designed with multiple rotors that can keep it in the air if one of them fails. The smaller rotors also help reduce noise, which the companies said is important to cities. The Hyundai vehicle will be piloted initially but over time will become autonomous, the company said.

Uber air taxis to become a reality as Hyundai is set to make flying cars

Uber wants to introduce flying cars by 2020, the company said on Tuesday.

The tech company said they preferred the flying cars to be called&nbsp;&quot;vertical takeoff and landing&quot; (VTOL) vehicles as its operation would be like a helicopter.

The cost of hailing the new breed of vehicles will be similar to the existing UberX service, The Independent reported.

The ridesharing giant said they aimed to launch the hovering cars by 2023 across the world.

But in 2020, they intend to launch these mind-bending vehicles in&nbsp;Dallas-Fort Worth metropolis in Texas, and its demo version in Dubai.

The most eye-catching aspect about these cars is the dramatic reduction in travelling time. The company said a 30-minute ride in San Francisco would come down to three minutes if the hovering cars are launched.

The announcements were made in a major press conference held in Dallas.

&quot;The goal of these partnerships is to develop a new on-demand VTOL network to enable customers in the future to push a button and get a high-speed flight in and around cities,&quot; Uber said in a statement.

The announcement came at a summit held in the Dallas area with partners in the project.

&quot;What started as a simple question &#39;why can&#39;t I push a button and get a ride?&#39; has turned, for Uber, into a passionate pursuit of the pinnacle of urban mobility -- the reduction of congestion and pollution from transportation, giving people their time back, freeing up real estate dedicated to parking and providing access to mobility in all corners of a city,&quot; said Uber chief product officer Jeff Holden.

&quot;Urban aviation is a natural next step for Uber in this pursuit, which is why we are working to make push a button, get a flight a reality.&quot;

Manufacturing plans&nbsp;

The company made the announcement in presence of their major partners.

The largest venture-backed startup have been planning to launch flying cars for long.

In February 2017, they announced they had recruited a NASA engineer to help them realise the dream.

They hired Mark Moore as the director of engineering for aviation at Uber Elevate -- the division that aims to revolutionise&nbsp;travelling in cities.

Uber&#39;s plans appear more ambitious, and include partnerships with US-based Bell Helicopter, Brazilian manufacturer Embraer and Slovenia&#39;s Pipistrel to produce flying machines for short distance urban operations.

&quot;Uber&#39;s Elevate network is an exciting opportunity for Bell Helicopter to help transform how cities move people and products in the future,&quot; Bell president and chief executive Mitch Snyder said in a statement.

Embraer CEO Paulo Cesar de Souza e Silva praised the &quot;unique opportunity to complement the air transport knowledge of a visionary and revolutionary ground transport company.&quot;

The Uber plan also includes partnerships for &quot;vertiports&quot; for the flyers to take off and land, along with changing stations for the transporters, which are expected to be mainly electric-powered.

Uber&#39;s agreement with Dubai Roads and Transport Authority calls for a joint study into pricing models, people movement and determining where routes should be created in the city.

&quot;The partnership will result in everything from hover and forward flight tests to actual flight operations in the Dubai area,&quot; according to a joint statement.

Uber has grown into the world&#39;s largest venture-backed startup, with a valuation estimated at some $68 billion despite ongoing obstacles with regulators and taxi operators.&nbsp;

In addition to ridesharing in some 80 countries, Uber is also testing self-driving cars in three US metro areas.

Uber&#39;s growth so far has not been dented by a series of embarrassing disclosures about a culture of sexism, cut-throat workplace tactics and covert use of law enforcement-evading software.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

The price of hiring a 'flying car' will be similar to its UberX service

Uber wants to introduce flying cars by 2020, the company said on Tuesday. The tech company said they preferred the flying cars to be called "vertical takeoff and landing" (VTOL) vehicles as its operation would be like a helicopter. The cost of hailing the new breed of vehicles will be similar to the existing UberX service, The Independent reported. The ridesharing giant said they aimed to launch the hovering cars by 2023 across the world. But in 2020, they intend to launch these mind-bending vehicles in Dallas-Fort Worth metropolis in Texas, and its demo version in Dubai. The most eye-catching aspect about these cars is the dramatic reduction in travelling time. The company said a 30-minute ride in San Francisco would come down to three minutes if the hovering cars are launched. The announcements were made in a major press conference held in Dallas. "The goal of these partnerships is to develop a new on-demand VTOL network to enable customers in the future to push a button and get a high-speed flight in and around cities," Uber said in a statement. The announcement came at a summit held in the Dallas area with partners in the project. "What started as a simple question 'why can't I push a button and get a ride?' has turned, for Uber, into a passionate pursuit of the pinnacle of urban mobility -- the reduction of congestion and pollution from transportation, giving people their time back, freeing up real estate dedicated to parking and providing access to mobility in all corners of a city," said Uber chief product officer Jeff Holden. "Urban aviation is a natural next step for Uber in this pursuit, which is why we are working to make push a button, get a flight a reality." Manufacturing plans The company made the announcement in presence of their major partners. The largest venture-backed startup have been planning to launch flying cars for long. In February 2017, they announced they had recruited a NASA engineer to help them realise the dream. They hired Mark Moore as the director of engineering for aviation at Uber Elevate -- the division that aims to revolutionise travelling in cities. Uber's plans appear more ambitious, and include partnerships with US-based Bell Helicopter, Brazilian manufacturer Embraer and Slovenia's Pipistrel to produce flying machines for short distance urban operations. "Uber's Elevate network is an exciting opportunity for Bell Helicopter to help transform how cities move people and products in the future," Bell president and chief executive Mitch Snyder said in a statement. Embraer CEO Paulo Cesar de Souza e Silva praised the "unique opportunity to complement the air transport knowledge of a visionary and revolutionary ground transport company." The Uber plan also includes partnerships for "vertiports" for the flyers to take off and land, along with changing stations for the transporters, which are expected to be mainly electric-powered. Uber's agreement with Dubai Roads and Transport Authority calls for a joint study into pricing models, people movement and determining where routes should be created in the city. "The partnership will result in everything from hover and forward flight tests to actual flight operations in the Dubai area," according to a joint statement. Uber has grown into the world's largest venture-backed startup, with a valuation estimated at some $68 billion despite ongoing obstacles with regulators and taxi operators. In addition to ridesharing in some 80 countries, Uber is also testing self-driving cars in three US metro areas. Uber's growth so far has not been dented by a series of embarrassing disclosures about a culture of sexism, cut-throat workplace tactics and covert use of law enforcement-evading software. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Uber plans to launch 'flying cars' by 2020

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