Uber and Hyundai announce aerial ride sharing service at CES 2020

Uber and Hyundai Motor Company have announced a new partnership to develop Uber Air Taxis for a future aerial ride share network and unveiled a new full-scale aircraft concept at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2020.

Hyundai is the first automotive company to join the Uber Elevate initiative, bringing with it automotive-scale manufacturing capability and a track record of mass-producing electric vehicles.

The air vehicle concept Hyundai released 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 its air taxi models and engineering technologies.

Hyundai will produce and deploy the air vehicles, while Uber will provide airspace support services, connections to ground transportation, and customer interfaces through an aerial ride sharing network. Both parties are collaborating on infrastructure concepts to support take-off and landing for this new class of vehicles.

Hyundai's Personal Air Vehicle model, the S-A1, has been designed for a cruising speed up to 290km/h, a cruising altitude of around 300 to 600m above ground, and to fly trips up to 100km.

The S-A1 will be also 100% electric, and will only require about five to seven minutes for recharging. The model is designed to take off vertically, transition to wing-borne lift when cruising, and then transition back to vertical flight to land. The cabin is designed with four passenger seats, allowing riders to board and disembark easily.

Hyundai Motor's innovative smart mobility solutions will be showcased at the Hyundai CES booth in the Las Vegas Convention Centre North Hall.