Bell Nexus Air Taxi

Background History:

Taxis provide a great source of transportation and make the lives of people in large cities much easier, but what if I told you that flying taxis could be coming to a city near you within the next decade? For the past two or three years, there have been numerous air taxi concepts revealed to the public, many of which were extremely unrealistic and had improbable chances of success. Unlike previous concepts, Bell revealed its realistic air taxi concept, Bell Nexus, at the Consumer Electronics Show in January and gave us hope for a new generation of transportation. 


How it Works: 

The Bell Nexus has six tilting fans that face horizontal during take-off and tilt to a vertical position during flight. Rather than being an entirely battery-relying electronic flying machine, the Bell Nexus incorporates a hybrid system that utilizes a singular turbine engine to produce electricity for the six individual tilting fans and the batteries that power them. This flying machine has been designed to reach speeds of 150 miles per hour for up to 150 miles. Bell has collaborated with many dedicated aviation companies like Garmin, Safran, and Electric Power Systems to design the most robust and reliable system.


Impacts & Future Growth:

Although Bell Nexus is just a concept, it is proving the advancement of transportation technology. Flying machines like Bell Nexus are paving the way for more efficient means of taxi transportation, which is something everyone could benefit from. Bell is expecting to begin test flights of Nexus in 2023, with hopes to have it available to consumers in the mid-2020s.  

Advantages: 

  1. Paves a path for the future development of air taxis and flying machines.
  2. Provides a quicker, more efficient mode of transportation.
  3. Helps the environment by relying partially on electricity and not entirely on gas.
Disadvantages:
  1. Batteries capable of supplying sufficient energy to the Bell Nexus are not obtainable.
  2. Integrating these flying machines into the existing air traffic control system will be challenging.

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Information Resources:
Adams, Eric. “Bell Reveals the World's First Realistic Air Taxi Concept at CES 2019.” The Drive, The Drive Media, 8 Jan. 2019, www.thedrive.com/tech/25848/bell-reveals-the-worlds-first-realistic-air-taxi-concept-at-ces-2019.
Goldstein, Michael. “Bell Nexus VTOL Air Taxi Makes A Splash At 2019 Consumer Electronics Show.” Forbes, Forbes Media, 14 Jan. 2019, www.forbes.com/sites/michaelgoldstein/2019/01/14/bell-nexus-vtol-air-taxi-makes-a-splash-at-2019-consumer-electronics-show/#3a5f40242e31.
Hoopfer, Evan. “First Look: Bell Unveils Design for Air Taxi That Could Soon Be Buzzing around DFW (Video).” Bizjournals, American City Business Journals, 7 Jan. 2019, www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2019/01/07/bell-uber-air-taxi-nexus.html.

Multimedia Sources: 
“A Deep Dive into Bell’s Nexus EVTOL Air Taxi Aircraft of the Future – AINtv.” Aviation International News, 13 Mar. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEbFeRyRHo8.
Adams, Eric. “Bell Nexus Render.” The Drive, The Drive Media, 8 Jan. 2019, www.thedrive.com/tech/25848/bell-reveals-the-worlds-first-realistic-air-taxi-concept-at-ces-2019.
“Hybrid-Electric Propulsion System.” Safran, Safran, www.safran-helicopter-engines.com/media/safran-proud-power-bell-nexus-20190107.


Garrit Witters


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