Word slipped out in February that Uber had hired 30-year NASA veteran Mark Moore to lead its "Elevate" flying car initiative. On Tuesday, the embattled transportation shared plenty more about the project during the keynote of the three-day "Elevate" Summit.
As Engadget recounts, the biggest revelation from the keynote is Uber's goal to demonstrate its flying taxi service - dubbed the Elevate Network - in 2020. A quick check of the ole calendar reveals that's just three years away - not exactly much time to get things off the ground, so to speak.
Uber spent much of the keynote detailing the various partnerships it has established to bring the project to life. The company, for example, is working with local officials in Dubai and Dallas-Fort Worth on pilot programs. Speaking of, Dubai also happens to be where Uber plans to host its first public demonstration (during the 2020 World Expo in October of that year).
The transportation company is also working with real estate companies to find places to build vehicle ports and has joined forces with ChargePoint to charge its vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) craft. This, of course, is in addition to the several aircraft manufacturers - Aurora Flight Sciences, Pipistrel Aircraft, Embraer, Mooney and Bell Helicopter - that Uber is working with on the actual flying vehicles.
The Uber Elevate Summit runs through April 27 in Dallas.