Las Vegas (United States) (AFP)
South Korean Hyundai announced Monday that it will produce flying devices for Uber, which plans to launch a network of shared air taxis in 2023.
The group said in a statement that it would manufacture these 100% electric vehicles, capable of carrying four people, on an industrial scale.
This agreement announced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) technology show in Las Vegas could help Uber achieve its goal of deploying air taxis in a few cities by 2023.
Jaiwon Shin, head of Hyundai's urban air mobility division, said he expects costs to remain reasonable through large-scale manufacturing.
The partnership must ensure that these short-haul air taxis are "affordable for everyone," he added.
By taking the transport "in the air, we can save time significantly for our passengers," said Eric Allison, the boss of Uber Elevate.
Uber has announced that it has chosen Melbourne, Australia, in addition to Dallas and Los Angeles in the United States, to become the first cities to offer Uber Air flights.
Hyundai took advantage of CES to show its prototype, the S-A1, which has a cruising speed of up to 290 km / h.
The device uses "distributed electric propulsion", thought with several rotors that can keep it in the air if one of them has a problem.
These smaller rotors also help reduce noise, which is important for cities, the companies say.
The Hyundai vehicle will initially be driven but is intended to be autonomous.
© 2020 AFP