Airbus Says Rides in its Self-Flying Cars Will Cost the Same as a Normal Taxi

800px-Flying_car..._this_one_is_more_plane_than_car_(4390845591)Airbus revealed a ride in its flying cars will cost the same as a regular taxi.
The company said its self-flying cars will cost ‘the equivalent of a normal taxi’, which means customers will pay between $1.50 and $2.50 per mile to travel by air.
Airbus is developing a flying taxi as part of an effort to reduce congestion in big cities by taking commuting to the skies. The customer would book the vehicle using an app, similar to car-sharing schemes. The aircraft would wait at a nearby helipad and pick up passengers at their requested location. The cost is low because the electric aircraft doesn’t need the same maintenance as a ground taxi.
The aircraft is called Project Vahana. It will fly autonomously and use eight rotors to take off vertically. The company revealed its plans to test the first single-person prototype by the end of this year. The prototype will have a range of 31 miles. The final version will be ready to take to the skies in 2020 and it will be able to fly 62 miles on a single charge. Each aircraft is planned to be equipped with spare batteries in order to stay operational longer.
Airbus isn’t the only player in the field of vertical take-off aircraft as an alternative form of city transport. Other companies are also planning to debut flying taxi services- Volo by 2018 and Uber by 2021. However, Airbus is the first company to announce a price for its service.

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