Joby Aviation, a transportation company developing an all-electric, vertical take-off and landing passenger aircraft, which it intends to operate as early as 2023, today announced that it has acquired Uber Elevate. Earlier Uber sold its autonomous taxi business. The two companies have also agreed to integrate their respective services into each other’s apps, enabling integration between ground and air travel for future customers.
Established in 2016, Uber Elevate has been working on laying the groundwork for the aerial ridesharing market by bringing together regulators, civic leaders, real estate developers and technology companies around a shared vision for the future of air travel. Their software tools enabling market selection, demand simulation and multi-modal operations are at the center of their work, and form the basis of this future-focused deal.
All-electric
Joby will operate a transportation service using the all-electric, vertical take-off and landing aircraft it has spent the last decade developing. The zero emissions aircraft will transport four passengers and a pilot up to 150 miles on a single charge, helping to reduce urban congestion and accelerate the shift to sustainable modes of transit. It has a top speed of 200 mph. Founded in 2009, Joby has raised $820 million in investment and employs more than 500 people. Joby has offices in Santa Cruz, San Carlos and Marina, California, as well as Washington D.C. and Munich, Germany.
Software
JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO, Joby Aviation, says: “We were proud to partner with Uber Elevate last year and we’re even prouder to be welcoming them into the Joby team today, while deepening our cooperation with Uber. The team at Uber Elevate has not only played an important role in our industry, they have also developed a remarkable set of software tools that build on more than a decade of experience enabling on-demand mobility. These tools and new team members will be invaluable to us as we accelerate our plans for commercial launch.”
Picture: Joby Aviation
