Does taking a flying Uber to the airport seem like a scene from The Jetsons cartoon? It’s shaping up to become a reality in Frisco, Texas. That’s just a short drive from my house!
While we have known for a few years that Uber Elevate was in the works and that a station would be in Frisco, the project recently reached a milestone. The city just announced the completion of an extended helipad for Frisco Station that will be the first testing site for Uber Elevate. Melbourne, Australia and Los Angeles, California will also be testing sites.
The ride from Frisco Station to DFW airport in an Uber driverless electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle (eVTOL)will be just 7 minutes. In comparison, the drive in a car with no traffic takes 30-45 minutes. That’s a substantial time savings!
Testing of this aerial rideshare is scheduled to begin next year, with a full rollout for commercial use in 2023. You can read the full article here.
Unanswered Questions
Will the price be competitive? The exact price to take one of these “flying taxis” to the airport has not yet been disclosed. Uber said the price will eventually be competitive with the cost to drive your own car. But, I suspect the cost will initially be higher.
How do people get to the station? The station in Frisco, TX is in an office park area. Do people drive and park there, or take a regular Uber car ride to the station?
Will people feel safe? These eVTOLs are driverless. Will people feel safe in the air? What sort of regulations will develop to ensure the safety of passengers?
Personally, I’m excited about this new technology, and I would totally volunteer to be a tester.
How about you? Would you consider taking Uber Elevate to the airport? Or do you prefer to keep your wheels on the ground until getting to the airport and flying with a trained pilot?
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Author: Nancy
Nancy lives near Dallas, Texas, with her husband and three kids. Her favorite vacations include the beach, cruising and everything Disney.
@PK I don’t think the vehicles are that far along yet, I haven’t read about approvals yet.
Wow! Love the new site design!
Thanks, Army! Just rolled out the new design this afternoon.
I hope they can make it work. I’d be down to try it.
Considering UBER’s safety record for self driving vehicles and the technology. Rather not be the test dummy. Plus has UBER received FAA approval for a pilotless vehicle?
@Jennifer I hope so too!