General Motors surprised at the CES 2021 event: it introduced the Cadillac e-VTOL air taxi. This new invention is more than just a flying car or a personal drone. GM has used EV technologies on the road and applied them in the air.

The GM Cadillac eVTOL has enhanced the image of the flying taxi concept. This company is the latest manufacturer to research the electric taxi business in the air.

Thus, at CES 2021, General Motors showed the progress it has made with the vertical take-off and landing vehicle. This North American company became the protagonist of the electronic exhibition and announced that between 2021 and 2025 30 electric vehicles would be developed: from pickup trucks to sports SUVs.

Of course, a product that stood out among the novelties will not be used in detail on the street or at least will not be there for most of the use. It is a prototype of a Cadillac brand electric flying vehicle that will have vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL).

This proposal is in addition to some similar flying cars announced in recent years and like the rest, has no immediate marketing plan (or was not reported).

The vehicle is a kind of aircraft without steering wheels and pedals, capable of traveling autonomously up to 90 kilometers per hour. It is equipped with four rotors that use “next-generation battery technology” and has biometric sensors that can read vital signals so that temperature, lighting and ambient noise can be adjusted according to these data. “VTOL is key to GM’s vision for a multimodal future,” the company said. As for the model, Michael Simcoe, GM’s vice president of global design, said it aims to “have a social space for a group of friends or family to spend time together on the way to the destination”.

The design is unique, showing four helices at two different heights. The idea here is similar to what we have seen in other eVTOLs, where the vehicle would be used as an air taxi to pick up and drop off passengers on the roofs of buildings.

Its design is in a similar sense to the first concept, but of course it is air-conditioned. The lack of a steering wheel or some controls is particularly noticeable. The Cadillac eVTOL would be autonomous and would not require a driver to carry it from one place to another.

There aren’t many details about how it works, beyond the grim figures indicated by Cadillac. For example, they say it would have a 90 kWh battery to move the four rotors. They also see a maximum speed of about 90 miles per hour for eVTOL.

Entering the electric car market

General Motors is gradually entering the electric car market with different models of its vehicles. The Hummer EV or Cruise Origin are examples of this. But they also look further into the future, with Cadillac luxury branded flying cars and fully autonomous. At CES 2021, the company took the opportunity to show its vision for the future of Cadillac cars. To do this, he introduced two concepts of autonomous taxi. Being conceptual means that they still don’t go beyond design.

The other vehicle is the PAV, which is a land taxi similar to many others that have appeared in this sector in recent years. It has a rectangular shape, without steering wheel and is quite tall, this vehicle is designed to transport passengers as an autonomous taxi. PAV is designed to be very easy to use. Inside it has sofa-like seats, also lying down and with cushions. The roof is made of glass so you can see the outside and Cadillac says the inside can only be accessed through biometric readings such as voice, fingerprint or iris detection.