Uber Ventures into Flying Car Technology with NASA Engineer Hire


Move over Larry Page, there is a new player in town looking to ride the tide of flying car technology: Uber. We’ve previously reported on Silicon Valley’s two flying car projects, Zee Aero and Kitty Hawk, backed by Alphabet’s (Google’s) Larry Page. Today, another revelation surfaced suggesting Uber is keen on breaking into the flying car territory for its future growth. The concept at the base of this idea is designing electric cars with capabilities akin to helicopters – efficient vertical take-off and landing in a noiseless manner.

This potential to leap over challenging terrain and traffic congestion could revolutionize commuting, bringing science fiction closer to reality. Contrary to an airplane’s dynamics, these vehicles are not focused on long-distance travel but on convenient short-range mobility.

Bloomberg disclosed that Uber has added a major piece to this puzzle by recruiting Mark Moore. Having served as an advanced aircraft engineer at NASA’s Langley Research Centre, Moore stands as a significant asset for Uber to unlock its aviation dreams. Now heading Uber’s aviation engineering as the Director, Moore brings a rich understanding of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) vehicles to the tech giant’s table.

Back in 2010, Moore explored the possibilities of vertically landing and taking off vehicles in an in-depth research paper, marking the genesis of this thought. Fast-forward to today, he opines that Uber has the best chances of leading the nascent urban electric VTOL market.

This strategic hire allows Uber to make significant strides in its transport innovation journey. While expanding its self-driving car operations beyond Pittsburgh, where it was first launched, Uber now has the foresight to build a VTOL future, undeterred by legal tussles in cities like San Francisco.

Uber, however, is not planning to jump headlong into vehicle manufacturing. Instead, it eyes collaborations with vehicle developers, regulators, and both city and national governments. As revealed in a report the company published last year, it aims to leverage the strengths of potential partners for this venture, taking the role of a marketplace that bridges thrilled consumers to an advanced use case vehicle.

This strategy perfectly aligns with Uber’s business trajectory. The company has grown by connecting riders to cars without owning a single one of them, thanks to its intuitive app. Collaborative approaches involving Volvo have spawned self-driven cars. The same model underpins Uber’s flying car concept.

Moore candidly highlights certain challenges this ambitious move may confront. Regulatory approval tends to be a lengthy process, significantly slower than the pace of innovation. Unlike commercial drones, flying cars ferrying passengers pose higher risk factors, which paints a lengthy road to permissions.

The cost and technical challenges in sourcing components for such a vehicle cannot be understated. The concept, although enticing, has constraints in its current form. The report suggests a flight range of 50 to 100 miles before recharging becomes necessary, which limits its usability last mile transportation.

Another consideration arises from assuming that special lanes or corridors would need to be allocated and monitored by air and road authorities for effective traffic flow and safety.

Uber, currently valued at $66 billion, boasts about 55 million riders worldwide. The flying car division will operate under the moniker Uber Elevate. This fresh foray into air travel propels the company closer to revolutionizing transportation as we know it.

While these dreams remain years away from realization, Uber’s bold step ushers a new era that promises the dawn of the flying car phenomenon. It’s not just an exciting realm of technology for enthusiasts, but also a potential jobs creator in the transportation and regulatory sectors.