Has Uber Grounded its Flying Car Goals?

While many expected Uber soar through skies with their ambitious flying car project, it appears that their vision has been grounded.

The company’s chief product officer and head of its Elevate flying car division Jeff Holden has left the company, where he’s headed and in what capacity is unknown. This timing is a shock as Holden’s departure comes just a week after Uber held its second-annual Elevate conference, where it touted its flying car concept.

When asked, Uber only noted that Holden is moving on to another position. This brief response is causing many to question and doubt the future of Uber’s fly car project.  Meanwhile, the company noted in a statement that the division is now led by Eric Allison and will continue to move forward at the same rate.

By way of background, prototypes of the vehicle have four propellers that allow it to take off vertically from the ground and a single rotor on the tail moves the flying car forward. Currently, the company plans to have up to four passengers can travel in the vehicle at any time and a pilot will fly them to their destinations.

In previous statements, Uber anticipated having landing pads atop buildings across cities around the world, so that passengers could climb onboard and travel. The company envisioned the final product to flying at altitudes of between 1,000 and 2,000 feet and can cruise for up to 60 miles before its battery needs to be recharged.

Category: Connected Fleet News, General Update, News