The best new transportation we saw at CES 2019
- Bell Helicopter unveiled a verticial-takeoff-and-landing air taxi vehicle, called the Bell Nexus, at this year's International Consumer Electronics Show (CES).
- Bell has partnered with Uber to design aircraft for Uber's upcoming flying taxi service.
- The Bell Nexus has room for five people and a maximum weight capacity of 600 pounds, according to The Verge, which reports that Bell hopes to have the vehicle making flights in a few major cities by the mid-2020s.
While flying cars may present too many hazards to ever be fit for use, flying taxis could arrive in less than five years. Uber has said it intends to launch a flying taxi service by 2023, and one of the partners it has enlisted to design aircraft for the service, Bell Helicopter, unveiled a verticial-takeoff-and-landing air taxi vehicle, called the Bell Nexus, at this year's CES.
Read more: The best car we saw at CES 2019
The Bell Nexus features six "tilting ducted fans" powered by a hybrid-electric propulsion system. The vehicle has room for five people and a maximum weight capacity of 600 pounds, according to The Verge, which reports that Bell hopes to have the vehicle making flights in a few major cities by the mid-2020s.
The Bell Nexus was one of the most striking vehicles I saw at CES, and the prospect of flying taxis is more exciting than the possibilities offered by the scooters, autonomous shuttles, and personal aircraft on display at the event.
What it is: Bell Nexus vertical-takeoff-and-landing vehicle
Who makes it: Bell Helicopter
Why it's the best: Scooters and autonomous shuttles will have more immediate impacts on the future of transportation, but flying taxis are more exciting.
Where and when you can get it: Bell hopes to have the vehicle flying in major cities by the middle of the next decade, according to The Verge.
How much it will cost: Bell has not indicated how much rides in the vehicle might cost, but Uber has said it plans to make flying taxi rides affordable for "normal people."
