The future of transportation is Uber planes

Uber, a transportation company which provides car rides to citizens is expanding their horizon. Rather then expanding their future on the ground, Uber is building their future in the air. In 2023, Uber plans to give riders the option of an affordable shared flight. Uber is working closely with federal and local policymakers to develop an aerial offering that’s safe, quiet, and environmentally conscious. Uber has convened leaders across industries and government vehicle designers  inventors, investors, and policy makers to build the future of air transportation, and even begin testing in cities as early as 2020. Recently announced, Melbourne joins Dallas and Los Angeles in becoming the first cities to offer Uber Air flights as it is expected to run commercially in 2023. The model of the aircrafts are expected to look different from commercial airlines. Led by Mark Moore, the NASA engineer who pioneered distributed electric propulsion (DEP), Uber’s Vehicle Engineering team has developed eVTOL common reference models (eCRMs) based on Elevate vehicle requirements. Requirements include 150 mph cruise speed, 60-mile sizing range, a 3-hour sprint of 25-mile trips, and capacity for one pilot and 4 riders, according to Uber Elevate on uber.com.