The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas began this week and is the biggest tech conference in the world. The amazing gadgets that have already been introduced to the public eye are breathtakingly genius. Hyundai announced that they would partner with Uber and mass produce flying cars in order for Uber’s ride-share service Uber Air to kick start. Set to begin in 2023, with Melbourne being one of the main cities for take off. Melbourne, Dallas and Los Angeles will be the first three cities to enjoy and take use of the Uber Air flight experience.
The South Korean automaker, Hyundai debuted the first full-scale prototype at the annual tech show. The Air Vehicle will be able to carry four people on trips up to 95 kilometres in distance. Uber Air will be able to fly at altitudes of approximately 1000 to 2000 feet and can reach a top speed of 290km/h. This new luxury air gadget will be marked as Hyundai’s fastest vehicle.
“Urban Air Mobility will liberate people from grid-lock and reclaim time for people to invest in activities they care about and enjoy” – Jaiwon Shin (Hyundai Executive).
The development and design of the air taxis will have specific features such as smaller rotors compared to normal helicopters, this is to minimise the noise from inside and outside the aircraft. To begin with, Uber Air will be operated by a pilot, but will become autonomous once the correct and specific technology is fully developed and implemented.
“Hyundai is our first vehicle partner with experience of manufacturing passenger cars on a global scale. We believe Hyundai has the potential to build Uber Air vehicles at rates unseen in the current aerospace industry, producing high quality, reliable aircraft at high volumes to drive down passenger costs per trip” – Eric Allison (Head of Uber Elevate).
The concept of the vehicle will be all-electric, using distributed electric propulsion, powered by the multiple rotors and propellers around the airframe. Neither Hyundai or Uber have specified when the vehicle will take flight, however, Uber Elevate is planning to begin testing later this year, hoping to launch the service by 2023. Additionally, the approximate prices of the share-ride has not yet been discussed either.