At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the two companies revealed a model of a four-seat, electric flying vehicle that they said “you’ll be able to summon for a ride through Uber’s app”. It will be a full-size mock-up of a flying taxi that both companies hope will be ferrying you above congested city streets by 2023. The electric plane, called Uberdai, will carry a pilot and three passengers up to 60 miles, at speeds of up to 180 mph, slashing journey times and helping get cars off the road. Eventually the craft will be automated.
The South Korean car manufacturer Hyundai, unveiled its first flying car at CES 2020 in Las Vegas!
The first actual prototype will be ready in 2023, according to a Hyundai spokesperson. A human pilot will fly the air taxi until the companies finalize software to autonomously control it, the company said. Hyundai is the latest big company to announce that it’s developing a flying taxi for trips around cities and suburbs.
It is designed for a cruising speed up to 180 miles/hr (290 km/hr), a cruising altitude of around 1,000-2,000 feet (300-600 m) above ground, and to fly trips up to 60 miles (100 km). The Hyundai vehicle will be 100% electric, utilizing distributed electric propulsion, and during peak hours will require about five to seven minutes for recharging. Hyundai’s electric aircraft utilizes distributed electric propulsion, powering multiple rotors and propellers around the airframe to increase safety by decreasing any single point of failure. Having several, smaller rotors also reduce noise relative to large rotor helicopters with combustion engines, which is very important to cities. The model is designed to take off vertically, transition to wing-borne lift in cruise, and then transition back to vertical flight to land. The Hyundai vehicle will be piloted initially, but over time they will become autonomous. The cabin is designed with four passenger seats, allowing riders to board/disembark easily and avoid the dreaded middle seat with enough space for a personal bag or backpack/rider.
Jaiwon Shin, executive vice president and head of Hyundai’s Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Division, commented “Our vision of Urban Air Mobility will transform the concept of urban transportation. We expect UAM to vitalize urban communities and provide more quality time to people. We are confident that Uber Elevate is the right partner to make this innovative product readily available to as many customers as possible.”
