• 25 Apr 2017 12:42 PM
• 0

Uber Partners with Aurora Flight Sciences to Manufacture Electric VTOLs

Background Overview:

Uber has signed a partnership with Aurora Flight Sciences for large-scale deployment of electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (VTOLs) in order to fulfill its mission of providing a safe, reliable transportation service to everyone, everywhere. The goal of this partnership is to enable users of a future Uber Elevate Network to request an Aurora Flight Sciences electric VTOL.

Additional partnership details include:

• Uber plans to operate a network through which electric VTOL vehicles in numerous cities worldwide will provide transportation and delivery logistics services.
• Uber and Aurora’s joint goal is for initial vehicles to be used in a flight demonstration by 2020.
• Aurora will develop aircraft to satisfy short distance urban operations as the basis for the VTOL performance specifications.
• Uber will participate in the development of airspace control software and hardware for the management of Pilot VTOLs on the Elevate Network, and provide interface connectivity with airspace controllers/regulators.

“Uber is taking a big step forward toward making the world’s first VTOL network a reality and our partnership with Aurora Flight Sciences will help get us off the ground. The Elevate VTOL network will help improve urban mobility around the world and transform how we travel.” 

- Mark Moore, Director of Engineering for Aviation for Uber

“The Uber Elevate mission is all about low noise, high reliability, and low cost.  By drawing on our nearly 30 years of successful autonomy and robotic programs, Aurora is well positioned to deliver on this urban solution.  We have already built and flown the first proof-of-concept aircraft and we’re excited to partner with Uber in accelerating the eVTOL initiative.”

  - John Langford, Chairman and CEO, Aurora Flight Sciences

Please find a press kit, including pictures attributable to Uber Technologies, Inc., here.  For any additional questions, please contact Matthew Wing at wing@uber.com and learn more about Uber Elevate here.