Hyundai and Uber Reveal Electric Air Taxi Concept
by on
INDUSTRY NEWS | 3 MIN READ
Hyundai has announced that they will develop an electric vertical take-off and landing air taxi as part of the Uber Elevate initiative.
The PAV will be operated initially by a pilot during the early stages of commercialization and enable autonomous operation once the relevant technologies are developed.
Watch the video to find out more!
Hyundai has announced that they will develop an electric vertical take-off and landing air taxi as part of the Uber Elevate initiative. The announcement was revealed by a team that are working towards a future aerial ride share network as part of Hyundai’s mission to transition into a Smart Mobility Solution Provider with three innovative mobility solutions. Based on these mobility solutions, Hyundai aims to free future cities and people from constraints of time and space and allow them to create more value in their lives.
The innovative concept was unveiled last week at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
The S-A1 PAV (Personal Air Vehicle) is equipped with eVTOL and designed to seat five people, including a pilot and was created in part through Uber’s open design process, a NASA-inspired approach that promotes innovation by releasing vehicle design concepts for any company to use. The PAV will be operated initially by a pilot during the early stages of commercialization and enable autonomous operation once the relevant technologies are developed.
But what does the electric air taxi look like?
Click below to watch the video.
Eric Allison, head of Uber Elevate said:
“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.”
Jaiwon Shin, Executive Vice President and Head of Hyundai’s Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Division added:
“Our vision of Urban Air Mobility will transform the concept of urban transportation.”
Hyundai’s S-A1 will have a cruising speed up to 180mph (290km/hr), a cruising altitude of around 1,000-2,000 feet (300 – 600m) above ground, and to fly trips up to 60 miles (100km).
S-A1 will also utilise distributed electric propulsion, powering multiple rotors and propellers around the airframe for noise reduction and increased redundancy.
Hyundai plans to strengthen its partnerships with global companies like Uber and accelerate its UAM business, including developing world-class PAVs, offering fleet service and maintenance, and developing skyports.
