Uber’s Flying Car Transport Service and What it Means for Car Shippers
If you follow the news at all you may have seen this article about Uber’s proposed flying car transport service. It’s an interesting concept, really, but is it feasible? Uber seems to think so – they’re planning on rolling out this technology within the next five years.
Of course, there are some issues with this new technology.
“Battery technology, vehicle efficiency, vehicle performance and reliability, cost and affordability, safety, aircraft noise, emissions, takeoff and landing infrastructure, pilot training, air traffic control, and the certification process” are just a few, according to the article linked above.
Uber’s plan is to have their flying car transport service be able to take off and land vertically. This also comes with issues, notably the fact that VTOL hasn’t really been used outside of the military. But it would also get a lot of cars off the streets.
Article Overview
How this affects current car shippers
The world is quickly urbanizing, and it’s said that 60% of the world’s population will live in an urban area within 15 years. This makes auto transport services a bit tougher to provide for carriers that can’t fit in the cramped downtown areas of places like New York City and Los Angeles.
But if a lot of cars are off the streets, street-level logistics may get a boost, notably car transport companies.
When it comes to American auto shipping services, carriers go where the freight is. Most of the freight nowadays is coming out of big cities and metropolitan areas. Currently, customers in areas that are hard to access have to move their pickup or delivery location to somewhere more feasible.
But if streets are clear of cars, auto shipping carriers have a lot more room to maneuver.
This won’t affect all pickup or delivery locations, of course. Some areas are just too cramped for a car transporter to get there in the first place. But many places, such as downtown Los Angeles or Miami, for instance, may see more car shipping trucks on the road.
Future flying car transport service?
If Uber’s technology takes hold, it could take the entire car transport industry by storm.
Right now, the biggest hurdle to flying car transport service is regulations – how will the FAA deal with personal VTOL taxis? How does one get certified to fly one? Would one need a certain number of hours, such as a pilot?
This we don’t know. However, auto shipping probably won’t change any time soon.
If a flying car transport service were to exist, chances are it would likely work the same as how Uber envisions their personal transport system. That is, car shipping carriers would likely use vertical take off and landing technology. This would mean a drastic change in how auto shipping services actually work.
It could result in a rise of terminals, especially those that have lots of open spaces. Of course, a VTOL-based car carrier is going to need a lot of room to maneuver. This could mean the slow disappearance of door to door car shipping services, too, especially if you don’t have room for the flying car shipping truck to land.
But a flying car transport service could also be a lot cheaper. Right now, infrastructure concerns prevent car transport trucks from being too large. Weight restrictions are a real thing, but with a flying car transport truck, the biggest hurdle is going to be fuel. So as long as they can keep their fuel in check, a flying auto transport truck could conceivably haul hundreds of cars at once.
This would definitely lower your vehicle shipping price.
Getting quotes for modern auto transport service
If you’re interested in shipping a car today, make sure to fill out our free auto shipping quote request form. It’s free and easy. More importantly, we at American Auto Shipping take pride in our work and make sure to only work with reputable, reliable carriers. If you have questions or concerns, give us a call. Our toll-free number is available 24/7 and you can connect with a live person for no charge. No matter your needs, let us at American Auto Shipping help you.
Since 2007 Dave has written all the content and blogs for American Auto Shipping and during this time added the duties of customer support and transport logistics.
He currently resides in Washington with his three kids and their mom and cat. A fan of Marvel movies and good stories, when not shipping cars Dave can be found working on his novel, enjoying a good book or playing some tournament HALO.
- When to go with an Enclosed Transport - October 2, 2023
- Understanding California’s EV Mandate - August 1, 2023
- Top Reasons Auto Shippers Are Delayed - January 9, 2023
