Is THIS the flying taxi of the future? Bell unveils concept aircraft at CES that users could hail like an Uber as soon as 2023
- Aerospace company Bell took the wraps off its futuristic ‘Nexus’ flying taxi concept at CES in Las Vegas
- The 6,000lb-aircraft marks one of the most advanced prototypes yet and it could be ready as soon as 2023
- Bell is part of Uber’s flying taxi initiative, called Elevate, and says the aircraft is designed for ride-sharing apps
- It can reach speeds of 150mph and features six 8-foot-diameter rotors that tilt up during takeoff and landing
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In just a few years, your ride to work may be an Uber taxi in the skies.
That’s the vision for the Nexus flying taxi, a hybrid-electric concept aircraft unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
The 6,000lb-aircraft represents one of the most advanced flying taxi prototypes yet and Bell, the aerospace company behind the product, says it’ll be ready to take off as soon as 2023.
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NEXUS FLYING TAXI SPECS
Weighs 6,500lbs
Features six 8-foot-diameter rotors
Rotors tilt to 90 degrees during takeoff and landing
150-mile range, reaches speeds of up to 150mph
Hybrid-electric design, with plans to become all-electric in the future
Garmin touchscreen displays
‘It’s an urban air mobility vehicle so what that means is we’re going to carry people or things in kind of an on-demand way,’ Matt Louis, aerodynamics engineer at Bell, told Dailymail.com.
‘So similar to calling an Uber, we’ll have a network of these vehicles available as an air taxi, or if you’re a logistics company, we would have a network of these vehicles to take things from distribution center to distribution center.’
Bell is part of Uber Elevate, which is the ride-hailing giant’s initiative that aims to fast-track the process of bringing taxis to the skies, a concept it has already explored with plans to launch UberAIR in the future.
Uber has already indicated that it’s ‘super interested’ in the Bell Nexus and Bell has put a lot of thought into how its concept aircraft would be used to help passengers get from point A to point B.
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In just a few years, your ride to work may be an Uber taxi in the skies. That’s the vision for the Bell Nexus flying taxi, a hybrid-electric aircraft concept, unveiled at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
The 6,000lb-aircraft represents one of the most advanced flying taxi prototypes yet and Bell, the aerospace company behind the product, says it’ll be ready to take off as soon as 2023. It’s already inked a partnership with the Uber Elevate program
‘You would pull out your uber app and say, ‘I want an UberAIR or maybe an Uber Bell,’ Louis said. ‘It’ll come pick you up and fly you somewhere.’
The company has been focusing on what it will look like when users have the ability to book an UberAIR, Levi Bilbrey, creative services manager at Bell, told Dailymail.com.
‘So you’ll have that option to get to a destination, but it’s much faster,’ Bilbrey said. ‘You’re flying over the traffic instead of flying through the traffic.’
Inside is a spacious – verging on luxurious – setup complete with expansive windows for future passengers, a massive screen on the ceiling and a high-tech cabin with Garmin touchscreen displays.
Six 8-foot-diameter rotors are what give the Bell Nexus its thrust, as they tilt from a flat position to 90 degrees, allowing it to enter ‘high speed cruise mode,’ the firm said. When the vehicle lands, the fans rotate back to a flat position for extra safety
In the cockpit, there’s a pinch-and-zoom display, that lets pilots check vital information like how long it’ll take to reach their destination, altitude and route information, among other things. For now, the designs are just conceptual, the firm said
Designs for the interior are still prototypes, but in a demo with Dailymail.com, Bell explained that the overhead display could be used for a number of different things, like interactive content and other uses tailored to would-be UberAIR passengers.
In the cockpit, there’s a pinch-and-zoom display, that lets pilots check vital information like how long it’ll take to reach their destination, altitude and route information, among other things.
Bell Nexus can transport up to five people at a time, including four passengers and a pilot.
However, the hope is that the flying taxi will be equipped with autonomous controls in the future.
The aircraft’s unique design is owed largely in part to the six 8-foot-diameter fans that jut out from its body.
Inside is a spacious – verging on luxurious – setup complete with expansive windows for future passengers, a massive screen on the ceiling and a high-tech cabin with Garmin touchscreen displays. Bell Nexus can transport up to five people at a time
WHAT IS UBER AIR AND HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?
UberAir is a network of small, electric, aircraft that enable four-person ridesharing flights in densely populated areas. Artist’s impression shown
UberAir is a network of small, electric, aircraft that enable four-person ridesharing flights in densely populated areas.
The ‘electrical vertical take-off and landing vehicles’ (eVTOLs) differ from helicopters in that they are quieter, safer, more affordable, and more environmentally-friendly, Uber claims.
Users will order the aircraft through the Uber app much like they would one of the firm’s taxis.
Once they have selected an UberAIR ride, the craft will fly to the nearest ‘Skyport’ – a series of launch pads spread across the city.
Uber estimates that an all-electric, 200mph (320kph) ride across the skies of Los Angeles will be price-competitive with an UberX trip of the same distance.
Uber predicts that trips from LAX to the Staples Centre during rush hour can be reduced from up to 1 hour 20 minutes on the ground to less than 30 minutes using UberAir.
Its prediction includes UberX transfers to and from UberAir launch pads – the flight over LA itself will take around four minutes, the firm said.
The plan will rely on a network of ‘Skyports,’ which will allow the VTOL Uber Air craft to take off and land on rooftops across the country
For now, the aerospace firm is betting on a future dominated by flying taxis – a vision that’s also shared by more than a dozen other companies, such as Uber, Google co-founder Larry Page’s Cora and Airbus, among others
These rotors are what give the Bell Nexus its thrust, tilting from a flat position to 90 degrees as the vehicle takes off vertically, allowing it to enter ‘high speed cruise mode,’ according to the company.
Once the aircraft lands on the ground, the fans rotate back to a flat position.
The massive fans are also what prevents the aircraft from being deafeningly loud as it whizzes past you.
‘If you imagine a whole fleet of these flying around a city, it could be really loud,’ Louis said.
‘The ducts give us that noise benefit, as well as ground safety, so that people can walk up to the aircraft.’
Designs for the interior are still prototypes, but in a demo with Dailymail.com, Bell said that the overhead display (pictured) could be used for a number of things, like interactive content and other uses tailored to would-be UberAIR passengers
Bell says the concept vertical take off and landing aircraft also has applications in more areas than just ride-sharing. The inside of the vehicle can be modified for a variety of uses, ranging from military and emergency medical services
The Bell Nexus, which the company says will likely be all-electric in the future, can reach speeds of up to 150mph.
Bell says the aircraft also has applications in more areas than just ride-sharing. The inside of the vehicle can be modified for a variety of uses, ranging from military and emergency medical services.
For now though, Bell is betting on a future dominated by flying taxis – a vision that’s also shared by more than a dozen other companies, such as Uber, Google co-founder Larry Page’s Cora and Airbus, among others.
Louis said the firm isn’t letting growing competition pressure it into being the first to bring flying taxis to the skies, however.
‘We want to establish the market, but we want to do it with a safe, reliable machine,’ he explained.
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