Ride-hailing company Uber Technologies Inc and South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor are all set to develop electric flying taxis, joining the global race in the future of aerial ridesharing. The partnership was announced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
Today we are proud to announce a major new Uber Air Taxi partnership with @Hyundai_Global.#CES2020 pic.twitter.com/9XpQvtvoK6
— Uber (@Uber) January 6, 2020
“The partnership is a significant milestone for Uber Elevate. Hyundai’s mass production history and resources mean they can build Air Taxis at the scale we need, to make aerial ridesharing a reality in cities around the world,” said Uber.
Hyundai will produce the vehicles while Uber will provide aerial ride-share services. Testing air taxis in cities may begin as early as 2020 while commercial operations could take of in 2023.
The aerial taxi will give riders the option to take shared VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft as a leg of their journey, effortlessly riding between conveniently located Skyports, from ground to air to ground. It will carry four passengers at a time and cruise at up to 200 miles per hour.
Uber Elevate, the ride-hailing company’s aerial division, had previously partnered with Boeing to develop a similar concept.
The future of urban aviation is intended to be safe, quiet, and environmentally conscious, and to support other transportation options, said Uber on its website.
