Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft promised as urban air taxis 2016-2023, generated hype but little real-world deployment.
The Flying Car Dream
Uber Elevate (October 2016) announced vision: Electric air taxis, app-summoned, flying above traffic. Promised 2023 launch in Dallas, LA. Partnered with aircraft manufacturers (Embraer, Bell, Aurora).
Concept: 2-6 passenger eVTOL aircraft, vertical takeoff (helicopter-style), electric propulsion, autonomous or piloted. Vertiports on rooftops. UberAir app integration.
Startup Gold Rush
Joby Aviation (founded 2009, went public 2021 via SPAC, $6.6B valuation), Archer Aviation, Lilium, Volocopter, Wisk, Beta Technologies - 200+ eVTOL startups raised $10B+ by 2023.
Promised timelines: Commercial service 2023-2025. Reality: Mostly still testing prototypes.
Technical Challenges
Battery energy density insufficient for meaningful range/payload. Most eVTOLs: 60-100 mile range, 20-30 minute flight times, 2-4 passengers. Barely better than helicopters.
Noise concerns (even electric, propellers loud). Safety certifications (FAA processes slow). Infrastructure (vertiports non-existent). Air traffic control chaos.
Regulatory Reality
FAA certification process 5-10 years. Urban airspace already crowded (helicopters, drones, planes). Municipalities skeptical of rooftop vertiports (noise, safety).
2023: Zero commercial eVTOL services in US. Joby, Archer still awaiting FAA certification. Lilium on brink of bankruptcy. Timelines pushed to 2025+.
Rich People Helicopters 2.0
Critics called UAM “taxis for the 1%.” Estimated costs: $3-8/mile (helicopter-tier, not Uber-tier). Required helipads/vertiports in wealthy areas.
“Solving traffic for billionaires while ignoring transit for everyone else” - urbanist critique. Venice Beach to LAX for $200 while buses stuck in traffic.
Uber Exits
December 2020: Uber sold Elevate to Joby Aviation, admitted defeat. COVID + profitability focus killed moonshots. Joby took over partnerships, timelines.
Uber’s vision fizzled. Became Joby’s problem.
Military & Cargo Niche
Beta Technologies (electric cargo eVTOL) signed UPS, Air Force contracts. Medical deliveries, military logistics more realistic than urban air taxis.
Zipline (drone delivery, not eVTOL) successfully delivered medical supplies in Rwanda, Ghana, US. Smaller aircraft, simpler use cases worked better.
2023 Reality Check
Hype collapsed. Stock prices crashed (Joby down 80% from peak, Lilium bankrupt). “Flying cars” remained science fiction.
Actual deployments: Air taxi demos (Dubai, Singapore, not commercial). Vertiport construction: <10 globally. Commercial service: maybe late 2020s.
https://www.uber.com/us/en/elevate/ (archived)