Bell unveils the Air Taxi you may be able to hail through Uber next year

Bell unveils full model of the Bell Nexus air taxi. — AFP Relaxnews

Bell kicked off the official opening day of CES 2019 on Jan 8 by showing off the full-scale design of the Bell Nexus, an air taxi of the not-so-distant future.

Believe it or not, flying cars are right around the corner – not in the form of personal, family vehicles but rather as a ridesharing option. Uber has been putting some serious work into developing vertical-takeoff-and-landing air taxis, and on Jan 8, one of the first aircraft manufacturers that the company teamed up with to develop these VTOL vehicles debuted a complete model of a functional air taxi.

For the same conference last year, Bell displayed just the cabin design of the taxi, and for CES 2019, the design got some wings. The Bell aircraft, coined the Bell Nexus, is powered by a "hybrid-electric propulsion system," which uses six tilting fans to manage takeoff.

Based on the cabin design on display last year, the taxi can potentially transport up to four passengers as well as offer them a fully integrated user experience including conference calling, news broadcasting, and even document sharing support. Otherwise, the interior space is allegedly quiet and relaxing.

Next year, the Uber and its partners intend to start demonstrator flights, and in 2023 aerial ridesharing for short, local trips will commercially begin. – AFP Relaxnews