Hyundai and Uber have announced a partnership for aerial ride-sharing at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).
Hyundai Motor Company and Uber have partnered up to develop Uber Air Taxis for a future aerial ride-share network and unveiled a new full-scale aircraft concept at CES. Hyundai are one of the first automobile companies to join the Uber Elevate initiative for the future of mobility. The concept by Hyundai is basically a large drone and was created in part through Uber’s open design process, a NASA-inspired approach that jump-starts innovation by publicly releasing vehicle design concepts so any company can use them to innovate their air taxi models and engineering technologies.
Hyundai will produce and deploy all the aerial vehicles, while Uber will provide the airspace, support services, connections to ground transportation, and customer interfaces through an aerial ride-share network. On the other hand, both Hyundai and Uber will be collaborating on infrastructure concepts that will support take-off and landing procedures for aerial vehicles.
For now, Hyundai have worked with Uber Elevate to develop a PAV (Personal Air Vehicle) model, S-A1. This concept uses an innovative design process to optimize electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for aerial ride-sharing purposes. It has been designed for cruising at speeds up to 290 km/h, while at an altitude of around 1,000-2,000 feet above ground and fly trips of up to 100 km. This PAV will be a fully-electric vehicle that will require between five and seven minutes to recharge. At first, the plan is to have a pilot for the PAV but will be automated in the near future. The cabin is designed with four passenger seats, allowing riders to board and disembark easily and avoid the middle seat with enough space for a personal backpack or a rider.
Hyundai Motor’s innovative smart mobility solutions including UAM (Urban Air Mobility), PBV (Purpose Built Vehicle), Hub and more are being showcased at Hyundai’s CES booth at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
