Results for: uber
Flying Taxi “Vertiports” Will Be Constructed by Blade
Helicopter charter company Blade has raised $38 million to build flying taxi infrastructure from Airbus and Real Estate Investment firm Colony NorthStar. The Series B fundraising also included Lerer Hippeau Ventures and LionTree Ventures. The funds raised in the Series B round will be used to construct “vertiports” which are similar to helipads, but designed for flying taxis. Blade and Airbus are...

Flying Taxi “Vertiports” Will Be Constructed by Blade

Helicopter charter company Blade has raised $38 million to build flying taxi infrastructure from Airbus and Real Estate Investment firm Colony NorthStar. The Series B fundraising also included Lerer Hippeau Ventures and LionTree Ventures.
The funds raised in the Series B round will be used to construct “vertiports” which are similar to helipads, but designed for flying taxis.
Blade and Airbus are partnering on the “Airbus Ride” program in Dallas. Airbus Ride transports users to and from AT&T Stadium on conventional helicopters. The two companies also plan to launch intra-city helicopter flights outside of the U.S., which would mark the first international operation by Blade.
Why it’s important: This fundraising round solidifies Blade as a major contender for a large market share of the flying taxi industry. Blade already has a large amount of experience in the customer facing operation of an aviation charter company. Leveraging this experience will allow Blade to swap helicopters for flying taxis with relative ease.
Blade was previously featured on TUp.com when Airbus was considering investing.
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Geely’s Involvement in the Flying Car Industry
Hangzhou, China – based Geely Automotive may seem to be just another well-performing car manufacturer. In reality, their stake and exposure to the flying car market is much stronger and more developed than many automakers. Having posted growth in 2017 of 108%, Geely is expanding extremely rapidly, and a number of acquisitions have accompanied this expansion. First, it was the...

Geely’s Involvement in the Flying Car Industry

Hangzhou, China – based Geely Automotive may seem to be just another well-performing car manufacturer. In reality, their stake and exposure to the flying car market is much stronger and more developed than many automakers.
Having posted growth in 2017 of 108%, Geely is expanding extremely rapidly, and a number of acquisitions have accompanied this expansion. First, it was the so-called “Daimler deal” that made Chairman of Geely Li Shufu the single largest shareholder of Mercedes-Benz. His share is estimated at $9 billion. The deal was large enough to cause internal investigations and gain the German Government’s curiosity. Li already owns Volvo and part of AB Volo, their commercial vehicles company.
But Geely also sought to expand toward the flying car market. In mid-November 2017, Geely purchased American flying car upstart Terrafugia, and promptly promised a flying car by 2019. Terrafugia is currently marketing their Transition, which is an entry-level flying car, but plans to leverage their experience and develop a new model, dubbed the TF-X, within the next coming years. The Terrafugia is planned to enter market in 2019, and the TF-X in 2023.
Why it’s important: While the story of Geely’s growth and subsequent acquisitions of new companies is nothing new, what’s notable is their inclusion of a flying car company (Terrafugia) in the acquisition list. This transaction underscores the importance that many automakers are placing on becoming magnates in the flying car market, and demonstrates that real commitments are being made to gain a piece of the industry.
Source
- https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/39583832/high-speed-chinas-geely-2017-net-profit-soars-amid-global-push/
- https://www.reuters.com/article/us-daimler-geely-shell-insight/how-geelys-li-shufu-spent-months-stealthily-building-a-9-billion-stake-in-daimler-idUSKCN1GD5ST
- http://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2120084/geely-buys-us-start-terrafugia-and-promises-flying-car-2019
- Image Credit: Terrafugia
AeroMobil Unveils 5.0 VTOL Concept Flying Car
Slovakian AeroMobil unveiled plans for their flying car (dubbed the 5.0 VTOL) Wednesday, which intends to take off vertically using tilt-rotors and then transition to forward moving flight. The 5.0 VTOL can also drive on roads, thanks to its conventional automotive chassis arrangement. Here’s an artist’s rendering of the 5.0: The 5.0 is the successor to the 3.0 STOL and...

AeroMobil Unveils 5.0 VTOL Concept Flying Car

Slovakian AeroMobil unveiled plans for their flying car (dubbed the 5.0 VTOL) Wednesday, which intends to take off vertically using tilt-rotors and then transition to forward moving flight. The 5.0 VTOL can also drive on roads, thanks to its conventional automotive chassis arrangement. Here’s an artist’s rendering of the 5.0:
The 5.0 is the successor to the 3.0 STOL and the 4.0 STOL made by AeroMobil, which is still receiving orders for the 4.0 STOL model at $1.3 million apiece. The estimated timeframe for completion of design and production of the 5.0 VTOL is in the range of “7 to 10 years” claims AeroMobil.
Why it’s important: AeroMobil is taking a different approach to the flying car. While most are promoting eVTOL’s that are optimized for the air, AeroMobil’s planned 5.0 VTOL is optimized for both on-road and in-sky operation.
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Japanese Government Launches Flying Car Study
The Japanese Economic, Trade and Industry Ministry began studies on Monday to examine putting flying cars to practical use. An advisory panel will conduct discussions on integrating flying cars to the current transportation network and develop a roadmap for their application by 2020. Additionally, the ministry intends to facilitate public-private cooperation to overcome any of the challenges that integration of...

Japanese Government Launches Flying Car Study

The Japanese Economic, Trade and Industry Ministry began studies on Monday to examine putting flying cars to practical use.
An advisory panel will conduct discussions on integrating flying cars to the current transportation network and develop a roadmap for their application by 2020. Additionally, the ministry intends to facilitate public-private cooperation to overcome any of the challenges that integration of flying cars may bring.
Why it’s important: Singapore and the United Arab Emirates already provide demonstration sites for flying cars, and growing sentiment toward becoming “flying-car friendly” represents a lucrative economic and infrastructure development stance for the host country.
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Bell Targets 2025 Entry to Market of their Flying Taxi
Bell Helicopters has stated that their new concept eVTOL flying taxi should enter the personal urban transportation market by 2025. While Bell showcased an image of its four-place passenger pod, no hints of a planned propulsion system have been released to date. Bell’s entry to the flying car market marks yet another instance of an aerospace company entering the lucrative...

Bell Targets 2025 Entry to Market of their Flying Taxi

Bell Helicopters has stated that their new concept eVTOL flying taxi should enter the personal urban transportation market by 2025. While Bell showcased an image of its four-place passenger pod, no hints of a planned propulsion system have been released to date.
Bell’s entry to the flying car market marks yet another instance of an aerospace company entering the lucrative vertical transport field; however, Bell’s extensive previous experience in designing and manufacturing helicopters will most likely aid in their transition to adding eVTOL’s to their product line.
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Dufour Aerospace Unveils aEro2; Continues Advancement of Electric Propulsion Systems
The Swiss-based team that brought the aEro1 electric aerobatic aircraft demonstrator to fruition has recently unveiled its plans for the aEro2. The aEro2 is claimed to be a two-seat tilt wing configuration with range of up to 120km (75 miles) on purely electric power. With a backup Auxiliary Power Unit, the aEro2 may fly as far as 800 km (500...

Dufour Aerospace Unveils aEro2; Continues Advancement of Electric Propulsion Systems

The Swiss-based team that brought the aEro1 electric aerobatic aircraft demonstrator to fruition has recently unveiled its plans for the aEro2. The aEro2 is claimed to be a two-seat tilt wing configuration with range of up to 120km (75 miles) on purely electric power. With a backup Auxiliary Power Unit, the aEro2 may fly as far as 800 km (500 miles). Cruise speed estimates are on the order of 200 mph. The aEro2 also marks Dufour’s entry into the eVTOL industry – previously their aEro1 aircraft was a demonstrator for their electric propulsion systems.
Why it’s important: Dufour Aerospace’s innovation for electrically-powered aircraft is important for the eVTOL industry because advancements in electrical propulsion systems, regardless of their originally intended application (in this case from the aEro1 to an eVTOL, the aEro2), will undoubtedly influence and improve the current systems in place among all eVTOL’s in development.
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Airis Aerospace Launches Concept Flying Taxi
Bermuda-based Airis Aerospace announced its concept all-electric eVTOL that intends on seating five passengers recently. The concept eVTOL has performance goals of transporting five people up to 200 miles at speeds of up to 175 miles per hour by using “dual coaxial lift fans and eight articulating thrusters for winged flight”. Airis also stated that their concept will include ballistic...

Airis Aerospace Launches Concept Flying Taxi

Bermuda-based Airis Aerospace announced its concept all-electric eVTOL that intends on seating five passengers recently. The concept eVTOL has performance goals of transporting five people up to 200 miles at speeds of up to 175 miles per hour by using “dual coaxial lift fans and eight articulating thrusters for winged flight”. Airis also stated that their concept will include ballistic parachute deployment systems, similar to those in place on the Cirrus SR-20 and SR-22 aircraft, for added safety and passenger confidence in their system.
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Watch: Kittyhawk Announces Sister Brand Cora
Larry Page backed Kittyhawk Aero recently announced a sister brand, Cora, that intends on producing an “everyday air taxi”. Cora is currently working with the New Zealand government on manufacturing the vehicle and flight tests have already taken place. The timeline for entry to service is “somewhere around five years” said Kitty Hawk CEO Sebastian Thrun – but that could...

Watch: Kittyhawk Announces Sister Brand Cora

Larry Page backed Kittyhawk Aero recently announced a sister brand, Cora, that intends on producing an “everyday air taxi”. Cora is currently working with the New Zealand government on manufacturing the vehicle and flight tests have already taken place. The timeline for entry to service is “somewhere around five years” said Kitty Hawk CEO Sebastian Thrun – but that could time frame could be shortened to three years pending the progression of the certification process with the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority. The fully autonomous Cora utilizes a combination of vertical and horizontally – oriented propulsors to allow Cora to liftoff vertically and then slowly transition to flight speeds using only its pusher propellor.
Watch Cora’s introduction here:
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Embry-Riddle Supports Record-Breaking UAV Package Delivery
A team of faculty, students, and staff from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, along with FAA regulators and Volans-i UAS systems engineers helped support the longest range UAV package delivery in the United States to date in Austin, TX. Team Roadrunner, as they were called, “consisted of the FAA-designated Nevada UAS Test Site (Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems), Volans-i UAS, Latitude UAS,...

Embry-Riddle Supports Record-Breaking UAV Package Delivery

A team of faculty, students, and staff from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, along with FAA regulators and Volans-i UAS systems engineers helped support the longest range UAV package delivery in the United States to date in Austin, TX. Team Roadrunner, as they were called, “consisted of the FAA-designated Nevada UAS Test Site (Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems), Volans-i UAS, Latitude UAS, AUV Flight Services and an Embry-Riddle Worldwide contingency”.
The record-breaking UAV flew almost 98 miles in 54 minutes using cellular connectivity and radio communications from observers while navigating the National Airspace System on a pre-planned route.
Why it’s important: This test solidifies the long-range capabilities of UAS’s. Although long range is not always required, the test also successfully incorporates a UAS into the National Airspace System, which is a sticking point of contingency for personal urban eVTOL transportation’s success.
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Audi joins Porsche in Pool of Automakers Involved in eVTOL Transport
Audi recently joined the ranks of automakers in the eVTOL transportation industry with its announcement at the 88th Geneva Motor Show that it would be collaborating with Airbus and Italdesign on the Pop.Up eVTOL transport. The Pop.Up was shown at the previous year’s Motor Show, but without Audi branding on certain car components. Now, Audi has included their expertise on...

Audi joins Porsche in Pool of Automakers Involved in eVTOL Transport

Audi recently joined the ranks of automakers in the eVTOL transportation industry with its announcement at the 88th Geneva Motor Show that it would be collaborating with Airbus and Italdesign on the Pop.Up eVTOL transport.
The Pop.Up was shown at the previous year’s Motor Show, but without Audi branding on certain car components. Now, Audi has included their expertise on the modular flying/driving system.
Why it’s important: While traditional large-scale aerospace companies and small-scale aerospace startups alike are entering the eVTOL industry, growing sentiment from automakers to become part of an emerging transportation movement is proving lucrative enough to garner serious investment, and, in this case, commitment from automakers to include their own components on future products.
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Hyperloop and Flying Cars Heighten Competition for “Next Big Thing” in Transportation
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi and Elon Musk last week made a buzz on Twitter after Khosrowshahi posed the question “why do you need to dig tunnels when you can fly”? Musk quipped back with his response, citing the potential noise and downwash generated from eVTOL’s propellors as reason enough to pursue the Hyperloop project in lieu of vertical transport. While...

Hyperloop and Flying Cars Heighten Competition for “Next Big Thing” in Transportation

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi and Elon Musk last week made a buzz on Twitter after Khosrowshahi posed the question “why do you need to dig tunnels when you can fly”? Musk quipped back with his response, citing the potential noise and downwash generated from eVTOL’s propellors as reason enough to pursue the Hyperloop project in lieu of vertical transport.
While both the on-ground Hyperloop and in-air eVTOL camps are becoming stronger in technological foundation, there are critical infrastructure developments facing each of these transportation solutions. For Hyperloop, permits for expansions and additions to existing rail structures and stations may hinder development from occurring quicker, while eVTOL’s must face the Federal Aviation Administration’s regulations and urban infrastructure requirements for landing ports as well.
View the exchange here:
If you love drones above your house, you’ll really love vast numbers of “cars” flying over your head that are 1000 times bigger and noisier and blow away anything that isn’t nailed down when they land
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 22, 2018
Challenge accepted. Improved battery tech (thx 2 @elonmusk) and multiple smaller rotors will be much more efficient and avoid noise + environmental pollution. https://t.co/563U0RqDYF
— dara khosrowshahi (@dkhos) February 22, 2018
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Pal-V Unveils Flying Car at Geneva Auto Show
The Dutch Company Pal-V launched its flying car at the 88th Annual Geneva International Motor Show on press day, marking yet another entry into the personal vertical transportation field. The Pal-V is configured as a three-wheeled, two-seat gyroplane and car combination that Pal-V CEO Robert Dingemanse thinks will change the way people think about personal transportation. Estimates state that the Pal-V...

Pal-V Unveils Flying Car at Geneva Auto Show

The Dutch Company Pal-V launched its flying car at the 88th Annual Geneva International Motor Show on press day, marking yet another entry into the personal vertical transportation field. The Pal-V is configured as a three-wheeled, two-seat gyroplane and car combination that Pal-V CEO Robert Dingemanse thinks will change the way people think about personal transportation. Estimates state that the Pal-V will operate at speeds up to 110mph with a range of just more than 300 miles. The Pal-V is slated to operate on conventional gasoline.
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Porsche May Enter Flying Car Market
5 March 2018 || 1 min read Porsche’s Sales Chief Detlev von Platen stated in an interview with German magazine Automobilewoche that Porsche is considering the development of a flying passenger vehicle. The vehicle is intended on being operated by passengers and does not require a pilot’s license, since most operations would be automated. von Platen also noted that he’d...

Porsche May Enter Flying Car Market

5 March 2018 || 1 min read
Porsche’s Sales Chief Detlev von Platen stated in an interview with German magazine Automobilewoche that Porsche is considering the development of a flying passenger vehicle. The vehicle is intended on being operated by passengers and does not require a pilot’s license, since most operations would be automated.
von Platen also noted that he’d like to utilize the concept flying car as an air taxi as well, in a nod to recent efforts by Uber Elevate and others to create and corner the emerging on-demand personal air transportation market.
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CEO Dennis Muilenburg Comments on Boeing’s Entry to eVTOL Market
3 March 2018 || 1 min read The Boeing Co.’s CEO Dennis Muilenburg commented “I think it will happen faster than any of us understand” when asked about the time frame for commercialized air taxis and autonomous urban VTOL transports. Boeing’s recent acquisition of Aurora Flight Sciences now means that Boeing owns stake in Uber’s Elevate Initiative since Aurora Flight Sciences...

CEO Dennis Muilenburg Comments on Boeing’s Entry to eVTOL Market

3 March 2018 || 1 min read
The Boeing Co.’s CEO Dennis Muilenburg commented “I think it will happen faster than any of us understand” when asked about the time frame for commercialized air taxis and autonomous urban VTOL transports. Boeing’s recent acquisition of Aurora Flight Sciences now means that Boeing owns stake in Uber’s Elevate Initiative since Aurora Flight Sciences is an existing partner with Uber on the project. A recent study by Deloitte estimates that by the early 2020’s five to eight passenger eVTOL’s will be commercially implemented in urban areas, and supports increasing industry sentiment that personal vertical urban transportation is growing towards fruition at a faster rate than initially predicted.
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Airbus Eyes $15 Million Investment in Helicopter Charter Company Blade
2 March 2018 || 1 min read Airbus recently disclosed that it may invest up to $15 million dollars in the helicopter and aircraft chartering service Blade for a reported 10 percent share of equity, according to persons familiar with the transaction. The investment may be an effort to acquire expertise into the helicopter-hailing app that is integral to Blade’s customer...

Airbus Eyes $15 Million Investment in Helicopter Charter Company Blade

2 March 2018 || 1 min read
Airbus recently disclosed that it may invest up to $15 million dollars in the helicopter and aircraft chartering service Blade for a reported 10 percent share of equity, according to persons familiar with the transaction. The investment may be an effort to acquire expertise into the helicopter-hailing app that is integral to Blade’s customer experience. Airbus eventually intends on utilizing a similar booking process for their eVTOL’s, the Vahana and CityAirbus.
This investment represents an ongoing trend to bridge the gap between current VTOL solutions – helicopters – and the future of eVTOL implementation on a wide scale. Currently, companies like Blade maintain the largest collection of infrastructure to support VTOL operations in urban areas. Urban infrastructure is identified as one of the three main challenges supporting Uber’s Elevate initiative, and acquisitions by other large aerospace corporations such as Boeing Co.’s purchase of Aurora Flight Sciences emphasize the competitive trend of being first-to-market with a functional implementation of an eVTOL system in an urban environment.
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