The company announced Thursday that it plans to invest €20 million ($23.4 million) in developing an all-electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft in France over the next five years.
It will open a new research and development center in Paris, its first technology hub outside of North America.
“France is a perfect home for our next step forward with its strong history of research and development, world class engineers and a unique role in aviation worldwide,” Uber said in a statement.
The Advanced Technologies Center in Paris will open later this year and focus solely on flying cars.
It will conduct research into airspace management, real-time communication networks, energy storage, and charging systems.
Uber’s announcement, made at a tech conference in Paris, is a boost for French President Emanuel Macron, whose ambitious economic reforms are aimed at attracting more foreign investment.
Its main ride-hailing service, which uses licensed drivers, still operates in France.
The company also announced a five-year research partnership with Ecole Polytechnique, a leading French institute of technology.
Uber has been working on its flying car program since 2016. NASA became a partner for the program a year later by developing air traffic management for a fleet of flying cars.
Uber believes that investing in flying cars is essential to protect its business from being disrupted by aviation. It wants to launch a flying car network by 2023.
Source : CNN