Uber in Talks To Sell Air Taxi Business To Joby

Uber is in advanced talks to sell its Uber Elevate unit to Joby Aviation, Axios reported Wednesday, citing multiple sources. A deal could be announced later this month. From the report: Uber Elevate was formed to develop a network of self-driving air taxis, but to date has been most notable for its annual conference devoted to the nascent industry. The sale comes as Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi's works to attain profitability, and follows partial sales of Uber's money-losing freight and self-driving units. Axios had previously reported that Uber was seeking a buyer. Elevate had a helicopter service running in New York City, but suspended those operations during the pandemic. At last check, the unit had around 80 employees.

For potential buyers

[nospam007]

I have a cheap bridge for sale in Brooklyn.

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[cusco]

Has a great view of the river!

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[jellomizer]

Why would I want to own a bridge, when I have an Air Taxi!

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[K. S. Kyosuke]

So that you could close it down and force people to fly with your Air Taxi, silly.

I will pay 5US

[jmccue]

Uber selling its Taxi business ? Who knew they had one. I will pay 5 USD if Joby backs out

There is no Uber air taxi business

[sdinfoserv]

The FAA already slapped this down years ago. If you take people in an airplane ~ for money ~ you need a commercial license. With all the expenses and extra safety requirements. Game over Uber Air.
https://reason.com/2017/06/27/... [reason.com]
https://www.forbes.com/sites/m... [forbes.com]

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[joe_frisch]

That was for aircraft "ride sharing" in the normal Uber model, and the FAA quite correctly squashed that. We do not need low time private pilots flying the public around for money.

I think Uber elevate was autonomous electric air taxis. Since they don't exist yet, there hasn't been time for the FAA to kill them. Its difficult to imagine how something that is a basically a low efficiency helicopter could work in this role - but I guess you can sell anything.

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[sdinfoserv]

Even for their cars, the term "ride share" is a lie. Ride share is picking up someone on the way to work, or taking the neighbor to the store with you when you shop. Going somewhere you're not normally going with people you don't know, for money, is the very definition of a taxi. My belief is the Uber endgame to profit was autonomous vehicles. Cutting the driver out of the cost model completely. When AV proved significantly more difficult than the brogrammers and vulture capitalists thought it would

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[Baloo Uriza]

Going somewhere you're not normally going with people you don't know, for money, is the very definition of a taxi. My belief is the Uber endgame to profit was autonomous vehicles.

My belief is Uber went into it to be a taxi network that just moves all the legal burden to outsourced drivers. After all, it's not Uber that's going to pay the fines or have their car impounded for driving a taxi without a medallion...

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[Baloo Uriza]

Which is how taxis work on the ground in most cities. I guess uber thought they'd be able to just...ignore the law entirely...like they did with their ground taxis and get away with it again.

Scotand

[crobarcro]

In Scotland, a jobby is slang for a poo

Re: Scotand

[Anonymouse Cowtard]

I'll take two jobbies thanks. Battered and deep fried.

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[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

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[ceoyoyo]

This is a nasty surprise for Australians who travel to Scotland.

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[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

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[cfc-12]

Yes indeed. As a long time Billy Connolly fan I find it kind of hilarious that there is a company called "Joby Aviation".