Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi talks flying cars, deadly self-driving SUV crash
Ahead of the second annual Uber Elevate Summit on Tuesday, "CBS This Morning" is getting the first look at a model of the ride-hailing company's flying car and potential designs for their sky ports. In an interview with CBS News' Bianna Golodryga, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said he's determined to make airborne ride-sharing an "affordable" option for the future of transportation.
"Just [as] the cities went vertical with skyscrapers for businesses and skyscrapers for places that people live, we think cities are going to go vertical in terms of transportation and we want to make that a reality. So we think that you can actually build these vehicles that are going to carry four people," Khosrowshahi said.
The CEO, who took over after Travis Kalanick resigned last June under pressure from investors, also addressed the investigation into the deadly crash of a self-driving Uber SUV in Tempe, Arizona, this past March. According to technology publication The Information, Uber found the likely cause of the collision to be a software issue. Khosrowshahi said that while the software may have been part of the problem, it is "too soon" to determine the cause.
"We want the NTSB to move forward with their investigation. It is their job to determine who or what was at fault. We don't want to get in their way," Khosrowshahi said. "There are various reports that have been out there. Ultimately, our job is to allow the authorities to do their job. And what I'm doing is a top to bottom audit of our procedures, training, software, hardware, what our practices are so that I can be comfortable and our board of directors can be comfortable that when we get back on the road, we get back in a responsible and safe manner."
In the conversation, Khosrowshahi also discussed the company's efforts to change its culture after allegations of sexual harassment, discrimination and bullying.