Hyundai, Uber announce joint partnership to build Air Taxies at CES 2020
South Korean giant Hyundai’s concept personal aerial vehicle is capable of seating five passengers including a pilot.
South Korean carmaker Hyundai and cab-aggregator Uber have announced a new partnership where both the companies will focus on developing Uber Air Taxies at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2020. Hyundai unveiled its new full-scale aircraft concept and has become the first company to join the Uber Elevate initiative.
Global automakers like Daimler and Toyota are in a race to create a car capable of vertical take-off and landing to make flying vehicles. However, even if one comes up with such a car, there is no regulation in place at this moment for such amphibious vehicles.
Uber is expecting to reach this goal by 2023, while Hyundai feels it shall be delayed until 2028, adding that the concept is still in a nascent stage and is expected to face teething issues. The South-Korean manufacturer is the first automaker to partner with Uber on this project and will manufacture and deploy these vehicles, while Uber will provide the ride-share services.
The full-scale concept vehicle was unveiled at CES 2020 and is expected to be powered by electric motors and rotors. In 2019, Hyundai had pledged to invest 1.8 trillion won ($1.5 billion) in its "urban air mobility" programme by 2025 to develop such vehicles.
Uber’s internal analysis sees such vehicles to speed up to 320 kmph, and eventually, after several years in a market, an Uber Elevate ride will cost the same as an UberX trip of the same distance.
This is not the first time that two companies have come together looking to redefine the future of mobility. Last year, Volkswagen, using its Porsche brand and Boeing announced that they are working together to develop the concept of a flying electric car which can be used in urban settings. This is not all, the German automaker is also working with Airbus in a partnership with the group brand, Audi, to manufacture such vehicles.
(Edited by Suman Singh)