Embraer has announced
an agreement with Uber to explore the concept of an
ecosystem - dubbed Uber Elevate Network - that will
allow the potential development and deployment of
small electric vertical take-off and landing
vehicles (VTOLs) for short urban commutes.
The announcement was
made in Dallas, Texas, in the opening session of the
Uber Elevate Summit.
This preliminary
partnership is a project generated by the Embraer
Business Innovation Center, the new initiative based
in Melbourne, Florida, with outposts in Silicon
Valley and Boston, which was announced last month
when the company revealed its intent to promote air
transportation innovations.
“We firmly believe
we need to explore several new business concepts
that may impact air transportation in the future.
This is a unique opportunity to complement the air
transport knowledge of a visionary and revolutionary
ground transport company. On exercising this
partnership, we will be developing new technologies,
new products and new business models which could
generate opportunities for Embraer in the future,”
said Paulo
Cesar de Souza e Silva,
Embraer’s CEO.
“We share the
vision that the state of transportation in congested
cities is ripe for innovative solutions, such as
on-demand aviation. Embraer’s leadership roles in
commercial and business aviation were attained
through the introduction of disruptive aircraft and
services, and we are confident that our DNA will add
value to new concepts in urban transportation as
well,” said
Antonio Campello,
Vice President for Corporate Innovation.
“Embraer is the
leading manufacturer of commercial jets up to 130
seats and one of Uber’s most experienced partners in
this space. Their knowledge of certifying
fly-by-wire aircraft, and their confidence that they
can similarly bring fly-by-wire technology
affordably to these much smaller aircraft is an
essential ingredient for our success”, said
Mark Moore,
Uber’s Director of Engineering for Aviation.
|
Uber's
vizualisation of what its Uber Elevate
network could look like in Dubai. |
Uber wants to have
its first public demonstration of its network of
electric planes that would ferry passengers at 150
m.p.h. through urban skies to their destinations by
2020. To reach its ambitious goal in the next few
years, Uber Elevate has partnered with Dallas-Forth
Worth and Dubai to be its launch partners and aims
to debut the Uber Elevate network when Dubai hosts
the World's Fair in 2020.
"It’s push a
button and get a flight," said
Jeff Holden,
Uber's Chief Product Officer, in his keynote at the
Uber Elevate Summit. |