(WIAT) — Ladies and gentlemen, the future is here. Uber and Hyundai Motor are teaming up to create air taxis to be used for the ridesharing company.
The announcement was made during this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Hyundai is the first automotive company to partner up with the Uber Elevate initiative, Uber’s vision to offer air transport to users. Other partners of the initiative include Aurora Flight Sciences, Joby Aviation, Bell, Pipistrel, Embraer, Jaunt Air Mobility, and Karen Aircraft.
Hyundai says the concept, which is labeled as the S-A1 model, will be designed to seat four passengers, reach a cruising speed of up to 180 mph, and take passengers on trips up to 60 miles. The Personal Air Vehicle (PAV) will have a pilot when it launches, but the automotive giant hopes to eventually make them autonomous. You can find the concepts of the PAV below.
Uber says their goals are to have flight demonstrations of the air taxis in 2020 and for Uber Elevate to be available to riders in 2023.
What are your thoughts on the S-A1 air taxi? Will you give the PAVs a shot, or stick to the ground for your ridesharing needs? Let me know on Twitter: @NickErebia.
