Uber will test flying taxis in 5 countries
On August 31, technology taxi company Uber said it will test flying taxi services in five countries including Japan, Australia, Brazil, France and India with the aim of launching this commercial operation within the next five years.
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Uber chose these five countries because they meet all the criteria: dense population and heavy traffic. The final selection of locations will be made within the next six months and the flying taxis will be operational from 2020.
Japan is one of the countries with the most modern public transportation, Uber said.
Previously, this American technology company selected two American cities, Dallas, Los Angeles and now added Tokyo, Japan. These will be the first three cities in the world to participate in this test.
Uber AIR will be a new, efficient way to save time in Tokyo, said Barney Harford, CEO of Uber.
In addition, the company plans to develop electric flying cars that can take off and land vertically at a maximum speed of 320km/h and an altitude of 300-600m. This vehicle can fly 96km on a single battery charge.
Japan is backing the development of flying cars and has launched a public and private committee in the hope that the new vehicles could play a vital role in mountainous areas and remote islands as well as reach disaster zones.
The council met for the first time on August 29 with the participation of more than 20 experts and businesses such as ANA, Subaru and Uber to come up with a roadmap within 1 year and put flying cars into practical application from 2020.
