Bell Nexus Air Taxi Concept

When we haven’t even come remotely close to nailing the autonomous car, companies are trying to make air taxis a reality. Talk about some serious leapfrogging. Well, Bell just showed off a full-sized concept model of the five-passenger Nexus Air Taxi and its revolutionary hybrid-electric powertrain at the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas. The Nexus’ six large rotors provide true VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) capability, and each enclosed rotor is propelled by a smart electric motor that’s powered by the combination of batteries, a gas turbine, and an electric generator. The motors provide balance, lift, speed, and that all important magic of flight. Bell has already partnered with Uber to provide air taxi ride-sharing services that hope to overcome urban gridlock, and actual Nexus air taxis are planned for deployment in 2020.