Lifestyle
ChargePoint and Uber partner to bring flying electric cars to the sky
While Uber continues its quest to dominate our streets with its peer-to-peer on-demand ride sharing network, the Silicon Valley tech company is looking beyond ground transportation and into the skies. Uber announced at its first ever Elevate conference in Dallas today that the company has partnered with the world’s largest charging network ChargePoint to create rapid-charging stations for Uber’s planned network of on-demand flying electric cars that will be capable of vertical take-off and landings.
ChargePoint is going to design, develop, and manufacture chargers with the goal for them to be utilized at Uber Elevate Vertiports by 2020, according to a press release issued by the company.
“As Uber works to bring vertical take-off and landing vehicles to the world, we are seeking out the most innovative, forward leaning companies to create the necessary pieces to scale this product. Rapid recharging is essential to this vision. ChargePoint has proven their unmatched ability to build and support electric vehicle charging networks and now, together, we’re going to make VTOLs a reality.”
Nikhil Goel, Uber’s Head of Product for Advanced Programs
Uber’s Elevate network of flying electric cars will consist of vertical take-off and landing vehicles, or VTOL. The network of VTOL vehicles is expected to launch in 2020 and will use ChargePoint VTOL charging technology to rapidly recharge the vehicles at their home stations. Uber is calling these stations for the VTOL vehicles, “vertiports” and views their partnership with ChargePoint as a crucial step in bringing this vision to fruition on a massive scale.
In a white paper Uber released in October the company states, “On-demand aviation, has the potential to radically improve urban mobility, giving people back time lost in their daily commutes. Uber is close to the commute pain that citizens in cities around the world feel. We view helping to solve this problem as core to our mission and our commitment to our rider base.”
Will it really happen? Why does this matter?
We’ve heard about flying cars for decades, why is Uber able to complete this vision now? Technology has finally reached a point to support the evolution of electric VTOL aircraft, and allow them to make short trips. The company expects VTOL distances to max out at 140 miles (225 km) and needs the trips to be 40% faster than alternative modes of transport. Uber is targeting shorter distance trips to help alleviate congestion in large cities and shorten commutes. Since Uber imagines a future with significantly less cars on the road, the company expects to use the top level of existing parking structures to house the vertiport stations.
ChargePoint has raised nearly $255M since inception in 2007 and hosts over 34,500 chargers globally to provide over 23M charges to electric vehicles. Most recently the company raised $82M in March, with the lead investor being Daimler. By venturing into the charging space for VTOL, ChargePoint continues to assert itself as the global leader of independent charging stations. ChargePoint’s President and CEO, Pasquale Romano states, “We continue to build upon that foundation by not only innovating the EV space, but by creating solutions for the electrified mobility models of tomorrow regardless of whether they roll, float, or fly.”
“Each vertiport will have multiple high voltage rapid chargers, as well as sufficient lower voltage chargers for each vehicle vertiport parking slot to recharge at a slower rate.”
Based on Uber Elevate’s white paper that the company released in October, they expect a nice mix of slow chargers and rapid chargers to help remove the intense degradation that rapid chargers may have on batteries. Uber is choosing not to pursue battery swap operations, referencing Tesla’s failed battery swap program as a key reason, stating, “while swapping optimizes the vehicle performance, it causes a significant logistics burden.”
Elon Musk has been pretty open about the idea of FSD being the difference maker for Tesla’s future.
If Tesla succeeds in achieving FSD, it could become the world’s most valuable company. If it doesn’t, then the company would not be able to reach its optimum potential.
FSD Supervised’s safety benefits:
- But even if FSD is still not perfect today, FSD Supervised is already making a difference on the roads today.
- This was highlighted in Tesla’s Q4 2024 Vehicle Safety Report.
- As per Tesla, it recorded one crash for every 5.94 million miles driven in which drivers were using Autopilot technology.
- For comparison, the most recent data available from the NHTSA and FHWA (from 2023) showed that there was one automobile crash every 702,000 miles in the United States.
This morning, Tesla FSD proved to be an absolute godsend. I had to take my brother-in-law to the hospital in Sugar Land, TX, which is 40 miles away, at the ungodly hour of 4 AM. Both of us were exhausted, and he was understandably anxious about the surgery.
— JC Christopher (@JohnChr08117285) January 29, 2025
The convenience of…
FSD user’s tale:
- As per an FSD user’s post on social media platform X, FSD Supervised was able to help him drive a relative to a medical facility safely even if he was exhausted.
- During the trip, the driver only had to monitor FSD Supervised’s performance to make sure the Tesla operated safely.
- In a vehicle without FSD, such a trip with an exhausted driver would have been quite dangerous.
- “This morning, Tesla FSD proved to be an absolute godsend. I had to take my brother-in-law to the hospital in Sugar Land, TX, which is 40 miles away, at the ungodly hour of 4 AM. Both of us were exhausted, and he was understandably anxious about the surgery.
- “The convenience of sending the hospital’s address directly from my iPhone to my Tesla while still inside my house, then just a single button press once inside, and 40 miles later we were precisely in front of the hospital’s admissions area.This experience really underscores just how transformative this technology can be for society,” Tesla owner JC Christopher noted in his post.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.
There are few things that prove an enthusiast’s love towards a company more than a dedicated short film. This was highlighted recently when YouTube’s SoKrispyMedia posted a 10-minute action movie starring Optimus, Tesla’s humanoid robot, as well as several of the company’s most iconic products.
The video:
- Shot like a Hollywood action flick, the video featured a rather humorous plot involving a group of thieves that mistakenly targeted a Tesla Model 3 driver.
- The Model 3 driver then ended up speaking to Tesla for assistance, and some high-octane and high-speed hijinks ensued.
- While the short film featured several Tesla products like the Model 3, Superchargers, and the Cybertruck, it is Optimus that truly stole the show.
- Optimus served several roles in the short film, from an assistant in a Tesla office to a “robocop” enforcer that helped out the Model 3 driver.
Future Robo-cop @Tesla_Optimus
— SOKRISPYMEDIA (@sokrispymedia) January 12, 2025
full video: https://t.co/TXpSRhcP5K pic.twitter.com/YFHZ7siAP7
Cool inside jokes:
- The best Tesla videos are those that show an in-depth knowledge of the company, and SoKrispyMedia definitely had it.
- From the opening scenes alone, the video immediately poked fun at TSLA traders, the large number of gray Tesla owners, and the fact that many still do not understand Superchargers.
- The video even poked fun at Tesla’s software updates, as well as how some Tesla drivers use Autopilot or other features without reading the fine print in the company’s release notes.
- The video ended with a tour de force of references to Elon Musk products, from the Tesla Cybertruck to the Boring Company Not-a-Flamethrower, which was released back in 2018.
Check out SoKrispyMedia’s Tesla action short film in the video below.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.
Tesla definitely seems to be determined to release the coolest lineup of accessories for its coolest vehicle. As could be seen in an update to the Tesla Shop, the electric vehicle maker has now launched a metal key card for the Cybertruck—because why not?
Cybertruck keys:
- The Cybertruck, similar to Tesla’s other vehicles, is shipped with a regular key card.
- The vehicle could also be accessed and locked through a phone key.
- As per the Cybertruck’s Owner’s Manual, the all-electric pickup truck is capable of supporting a total of 19 keys.
The Cybertruck’s Metal Key Card:
- Tesla’s Cybertruck Metal Key Card functions much like the vehicle’s regular key card, but it is finished using premium stainless steel
- As per Tesla’s description of the item:
- “Convenient, durable, versatile. The Cybertruck Metal Key Card is a premium stainless-steel alternative to our traditional plastic key cards, making it easy to access your Cybertruck without your Phone Key. Ideal for when your phone is unavailable or when sharing your vehicle with a friend or valet.”
- The Cybertruck Metal Key Card costs $60.
- In comparison, the Cybertruck’s regular key card is sold for $40.
- The Cybertruck Metal Key Card comes with the metal key card itself, as well as a bifold key card wallet.
Tesla Cybertruck merch push:
- Being the company’s most eye-catching vehicle, it is no surprise that that Tesla has been releasing quite a lot of merchandise inspired by the all-electric pickup truck.
- These include a $250 levitating Cybertruck model, as well as a $35 Cybertruck wind-up racer, both of which are out of stock.
- Tesla also sells the $35 “CyberMug,” a $40 “CyberStein,” and a $50 “CyberVessel.”
- Other Cybertruck-inspired merchandise are the $60 Cyberwhistle Stealth, and the $50 CyberOpener.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.
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