Company CEO Says That Timeframe Seems 'Likely'

Embraer CEO Paulo Cesar de Souza says that its entry into the electric flying taxi service envisioned by Uber and multiple partners will "likely" launch somewhere around 2024, according to a report posted on the Cleantechnica blog.

Embraer is one of several companies working to develop what would essentially be quadcopters capable of carrying one or more people as part of the Uber Elevate program. Souza noted that while he hopes that the service can be operating in as little as 7 years, there has been no agreement on business models or financing with Uber.

The statement from Souza also is less aggressive as far as a launch date in concerned than previous projections from involved companies which had the service flying by 2023.

According to Reuters, Souza said that the aircraft in development would be capable of carrying a pilot and four passengers to an altitude of about 3,300 feet. Batteries supplying the power for the aircraft could be recharged in as little a 5 minutes between flights, he said.

He also said that the Uber Elevate project is giving Embraer engineers a new project on which to focus. “The project has provided an outlet for engineering resources at Embraer, whose newest planes — a military cargo jet and a new generation of passenger jets — are well into their flight testing campaigns," Souza said.

(Image provide by Uber)

FMI: Original Report