Bell Nexus is the “air taxi” concept from the company formerly known as Bell Helicopter.
A hybrid-electric propulsion aircraft, the Nexus will use six tilting ducted fans to take off and land vertically from a rooftop or launchpad. And more importantly, you may be able to hail one for a crosstown trip using Uber’s new aerial service in the not-too-distant future.
In 2016, Uber first introduced its plan to bring its ride-sharing capabilities to the airspace over cities, but the project still faces significant hurdles.
The kind of aircraft Uber envisions shuttling passengers from rooftop to rooftop — electric, autonomous, with the ability to take off and land vertically — don’t really exist yet, nor does the infrastructure to support such a service.
Experts suggest that engineering and regulatory hindrances may prevent flying cars from ever taking off in a meaningful way.
