The aircraft will work on electrical transmission
Hyundai unveiled a full-scale prototype of a concept flying car at CES 2020 in Las Vegas. The company has signed an agreement with Uber to provide the aircraft for its air taxi network. The aircraft will work on electrical transmission and will have vertical landing and take-off ability.
Uber wants to be the only solution provider in the mobility sector that has an air wing. The company has expanded from cabs to electric scooters, bikes and now VTOL taxis. It is still working on autonomous car technology to take out the contracted drivers to cut down the cost.
The idea of the flying taxi came out in 2016, the company named it ‘Uber Elevate’. The ambitious plan is to run the flight test by 2020 and prepare for a full-scale launch in 2023. The air taxi sector is still going through rigorous conceptualization and testing, Uber has introduces a makeshift air taxi service in the city of New York with the use of helicopters.
Agreement with aerospace companies for alternate options
The collaboration between the two companies will bring out the aircraft named S-A1. The aircraft can carry four passengers up to 60 miles with the speed reaching 180 mph. This is the first of its kind agreement by Uber as Hyundai is a car manufacturer. On the sidelines, the company has also forged a relationship with aerospace companies such as Bell air, Pipistrel, Embraer, and Boeing.
Eric Allision, Head of Uber Elevate said, “We believe Hyundai has the potential to build Uber Air vehicles at rates unseen in the current aerospace industry, producing high-quality, reliable at high volumes to drive down passenger costs per trip.” The S-A1 prototype yet not completed its flight tests; as the broader plan was not disclosed by the companies abut commercialization.
