Tech

Elon Musk takes a swipe at Uber's flying cars

Key Points
  • Elon Musk compared Uber's flying cars project to drones that are "1,000 times bigger and noisier."
  • Khosrowshahi responded, saying improved battery technology, such as that made by Tesla, would make Uber's flying cars more environmentally friendly and less noisy.
Elon Musk
Joe Skipper | Reuters

Elon Musk doesn't seem to be a fan of flying cars.

The billionaire entrepreneur responded to a question sent via Twitter by journalist Anirban Ghoshal on behalf of Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. Khosrowshahi asked about why Musk is focused on developing a Hyperloop transportation system connecting Washington D.C. and New York instead of flight.

Musk compared flying cars to drones that are "1,000 times bigger and noisier."

"If you love drones above your house, you'll really love vast numbers of 'cars' flying over your head that are 1,000 times bigger and noisier and blow away anything that isn't nailed down when they land," Musk said in his response on the social media site.

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Uber has been working on a flying taxi project for some time, and in November said it was partnering with NASA to create an air traffic control system for it. Earlier in 2017, the firm teamed up with the governments of Dallas-Fort Worth and Dubai with the aim of prioritizing those cities with its flying cars.

Khosrowshahi responded to Musk, saying that improved battery technology, such as that made by Elon Musk's Tesla, and multiple smaller rotors would make the firm's flying cars more environmentally friendly and less noisy.

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Musk received a permit for preparation and preliminary excavation of a site in Washington D.C. for his Hyperloop project earlier this week.

Uber's Khosrowshahi is in India as part of a two-day visit to the country. He dismissed rumors that Uber was planning to pull out of Southeast Asia, saying that the firm expects to invest "aggressively" despite not making any money in the region.

CNBC reported earlier this month that the company is preparing to sell its Southeast Asia unit to Singaporean ride-hailing firm Grab in exchange for a stake in the company.