Uber Air Taxis
Hyundai is the first Uber Elevate partner for the Uber Air Taxis production. Credit: Hyundai Motor Company.

Ride-sharing company Uber and automobile manufacturer Hyundai Motor have partnered to develop air taxis for a future aerial rideshare network.

Under the collaboration, Hyundai will develop and deploy the air vehicles while Uber will assist with airspace support services, ground transportation connection and customer interfaces.

The two companies will also jointly develop a take-off and landing infrastructure concept.

Hyundai Urban Air Mobility (UAM) division executive vice-president and head Jaiwon Shin said: “Our vision of Urban Air Mobility will transform the concept of urban transportation.

“We expect UAM to vitalise urban communities and provide more quality time to people. We are confident that Uber Elevate is the right partner to make this innovative product readily available to as many customers as possible.”

The partnership makes Hyundai the first automotive company to join the Uber Elevate venture.

The ridesharing company is planning to mass-produce electric vehicles for air taxi models, which is expected to be commercialised in 2023.

In addition to an aerial ridesharing partnership, Hyundai unveiled a new full-scale S-A1 aircraft model at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

Hyundai has already collaborated with Uber Elevate to develop S-A1, a personal air vehicle (PAV) model.

This leverages advanced design to improve electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for aerial ridesharing purposes.

Hyundai’s S-A1 is designed to fly at speeds of up to 290km/h, cruising altitudes of 300m-600m aboveground, and distances of up to 100km.

The 100% electric vehicle will leverage distributed electric propulsion, which can be recharged in five to seven minutes.

The vehicle will initially be piloted.