ROBOTAXIS / FLYING TAXIS
UK’S FIRST VERTIPORT TESTBED NEAR BICESTER GETS GREEN LIGHT
Plans to build the UK’s first vertiport testbed for electric air taxis near Bicester have been approved. Bicester Motion, a future mobility estate, and Skyports Infrastructure, a leader in vertiport infrastructure, will collaborate on the project. The vertiport, located adjacent to Bicester Motion’s existing general aviation runways, received approval from Cherwell District Council and will include a passenger terminal and be used for testing ground infrastructure and flight operations. Skyports Infrastructure has partnered with Vertical Aerospace,
first tethered piloted flight in July and is now undergoing further testing. Duncan Walker, CEO of Skyports, expressed excitement about the project, stating that the vertiport will play a crucial role in
a company developing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The VX4, Vertical Aerospace’s latest eVTOL aircraft, will be the first to fly at the Skyports vertiport. Designed to carry four passengers, the VX4 successfully completed its
advancing the adoption of advanced air mobility in the UK. The vertiport is being developed as part of the Advanced Mobility Ecosystem Consortium, a group backed by the UK Research and Innovation Future Flight Challenge.
UBER ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC INVESTMENT IN UK AUTONOMOUS DRIVING FIRM WAYVE
Ride-sharing giant Uber has announced a strategic investment in Wayve, a UK-based autonomous driving technology company. The investment is part of a broader partnership that will see Wayve- powered self-driving vehicles integrated into the Uber network. The San Francisco based giant has already announced tie-ups with self-driving group’s Waymo and Cruise this year, as it looks to become the go-to ride-hailing platform for consumers seeking to experience self-driving cars. However, Wayve’s approach to autonomous driving sets it apart from competitors by relying on a “general purpose” AI system that can learn to drive in any environment, without the need for pre-configured maps.
PHTM OCTOBER 2024
This technology has the potential to accelerate the development and deployment of self-driving vehicles. Alex Kendall, co-founder and CEO of Wayve, expressed excitement about the partnership with Uber. “We’re thrilled to be teaming up with Uber to massively ramp up our AI’s fleet learning and ensure our AV technology is safe and ready for global deployment,” he said. “Wayve is building a ‘general
purpose’ driving Al that can power all levels of driving automation in any type of vehicle, anywhere in the world.” Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber, echoed Kendall’s enthusiasm. “Wayve’s advanced Embodied AI approach holds a ton of promise as we work towards a world where modern vehicles are shared, elec- tric, and autonomous,” he stated. “We’re thrilled to bring Wayve on as a partner to work alongside automakers as we continue to build out Uber as the best network for self-driving vehicles.” Details of where self-driving Ubers would be offered were
not
disclosed, although Wayve said its vehicles would be available on the Uber network “in multiple markets around the world.”
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