A full-scale model of Hyundai’s S-A1 air taxi sat on the floor at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, and Uber says it wants passengers riding in it by 2023. The first route it has in mind is Melbourne airport.
The S-A1 is a personal air vehicle. Electric motors give it vertical takeoff and landing like a helicopter, and the rotors tilt to push it forward like a plane. It is meant to fly 300 to 600 meters above the ground, clear of commercial airspace, at up to 290 km/h and over a range of 100 km.
Recharging takes seven minutes, according to Daily Mail Australia, which got an early look at the model. That is enough time for one set of passengers to get out and the next to climb in.
The cabin seats four passengers, with a fifth seat for a pilot. The pilot seat is expected to go away once the aircraft becomes autonomous. Luggage space is tight: carry-on bags only, no large suitcases.
How the partnership splits the work
Hyundai will build and deploy the aircraft. Uber will supply airspace support, links to ground transport and the customer-facing side of the aerial ride-share network.
The pitch is a single trip booked in one app. A rider orders an air taxi, gets driven to the launch pad, flies to the airport and is dropped at check-in.
“This Hyundai partnership presents another significant advancement in our Uber Air journey,” said Natalie Malligan, head of Uber Elevate Australia. “Our approach has always been to be thorough, and to collaborate closely with our local stakeholders and communities.”
Uber acknowledges the task is hard, even with 2023 as the target. It is not adapting existing vehicles. It is creating a new way to travel.
Separately, Uber announced on Tuesday that its app would also sell bus, ferry, tram and train tickets, starting in Las Vegas and reaching Australia over time.
