Hyundai Motor Company is set to produce flying cars for ride-hailing giant Uber as part of the latter’s aim to provide air taxis by 2023.
The South Korean carmaker which is famed for its inexpensive automobiles is set to mass produce four-passenger aerial taxis in partnership with Uber Elevate.
Officially launched in 2016, Uber Elevate currently ties with other aircraft manufacturers to expand the ride-hailing company’s services by offering air flights which shall begin this year.
The company anticipates that the “electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles” to be made by Hyundai would take a 50-mile trip for only 15 minutes, way faster compared to riding a car which will take approximately 2 hours.
Head of Uber Elevate Eric Allison boasted that only Uber can “seamlessly connect riders from cars, trains and even bikes to aircraft” with its innovative transportation apps options.
“By taking transportation out of the two-dimensional grid on the ground and moving it into the sky, we can offer significant time savings to our riders,” he said.
Meanwhile, Jaiwon Shin Executive Vice President and Head of Hyundai’s Urban Air Mobility Division said he hopes that the air taxis could be made “affordable for everyone.”
During the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas where the announcement on air taxi production was made, Hyundai has showcased the S-A1 model aircraft with a cruising speed of up to 180 miles (290 km) per hour.
The aircraft is designed with multiple rotors, some for keeping it on air and some for noise reduction.
Apart from this, Hyundai has reportedly introduced numerous projects like the downsized equivalent of a flying taxi air terminal called “hub” and the autonomous shuttle dubbed “purpose-built vehicle.”
