New Delhi | Jagran Tech Desk: US-based ride hailing firm Uber on Monday announced partnership with South Korean car manufacturer Hyundai on the development of air taxis at CES 2020.
Speaking to Efe news, head of Uber Elevate, Eric Allison said, "Hyundai is our first vehicle partner with experience of manufacturing passenger cars on a global scale. We believe Hyundai has the potential to build Uber Air vehicles at rates unseen in the current aerospace industry."
Hyundai has unveiled a four-seater aircraft concept called SA-1 which is capable of reaching max speed of up to 180 miles per hour and fly at an altitude of 1,000 to 2,000 feet above the ground, said a report. It will specialize in short journeys of less than 30 minutes. The helicopters, with two pilots as crew members, can accommodate up to five passengers.
The airline takes as little as half an hour, compared to the one or two-hour duration taken to cover the same distance by road, or other means of transport such as trains or the subway.
As per the agreement, Hyundai will be produce and deploy air vehicles while Uber will provide logistics so that service can operate, connect ground transportation, drivers, pilots with passengers and customers interfaces through an aerial rideshare network.
The companies revealed the collaboration at the ongoing Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2020) fair being held in Las Vegas, US.
In a statement, the company said that the air vehicle concept "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 their air taxi models and engineering technologies."
Since July 2019, Uber has been running a helicopter service connecting John F. Kennedy International Airport and the central New York island of Manhattan, charging around USD200-225 per trip.
Posted By: James Kuanal