Uber to offer flying taxi rides in 2023

Uber and Hyundai have unveiled a flying taxi that will offer a network of air taxis in 2023.

Uber has said it will conduct the first public demonstration of a flying car this year and allow customers to book aerial rides by 2023.

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Hyundai’s aerial taxi would be able to take off and land vertically, accommodate four passengers and cruise at up to 200 miles per hour. It would be fully electric with a range of 60 miles.

The concept is similar to those designed by Boeing and a handful of other companies in collaboration with Uber Elevate, the ride-hailing company’s aerial division.

Eric Allison, Head of Uber Elevate, said in a statement, “We believe Hyundai has the potential to build Uber Air vehicles at rates unseen in the current aerospace industry, producing high quality, reliable aircraft at high volumes to drive down passenger costs per trip.”

In addition to sci-fi ventures, the group also oversees Uber helicopter rides, which are available in New York City.

Uber also disclosed on Monday that it will start selling bus tickets through its app in Las Vegas, making it the second city to sign up for a public transit program the company introduced last year.

‘’Customers in the city will see public transit as one of the options in the Uber app, alongside car rides. They can then plan their route and purchase tickets for the same price they would pay using traditional methods. Riders will be able to use the tickets when their phone is offline.’’

Uber expects to introduce the feature to additional cities around the world in the coming months.

Uber has held talks with the Federal Aviation Administration and their effort is likely to face heavy scrutiny from the regulator over logistics for takeoff and landing, noise and safety concerns, the Fortune media reported.

Meanwhile, Hyundai said its vehicle will require a human pilot initially and eventually operate autonomously

Uber is working with NASA and a half-dozen manufacturers, including Textron Inc.’s Bell and Joby Aviation. The arrangement with Hyundai stands out because the automotive giant could produce air vehicles at “rates unseen” in the aerospace industry, said Eric Allison, the head of Uber Elevate.

‘’High volume would, in theory, decrease the price per trip and make an air taxi network financially viable,’’ he said.

Uber said it will provide partners with airspace support services, connections to ground transportation and a large base of customers. The companies will collaborate on finding places for the vehicles to take off and land, with Uber likely leveraging existing relationships with real estate companies including Hillwood Properties and Signature Flight Support.

First unveiled in 2016, Uber Elevate aims to expand the ride-hailing giant’s reach by linking urban centers and their suburbs.