Aircraft

Bell refines its air taxi design and adds an all-electric option

Bell refines its air taxi design and adds an all-electric option
Bell expects the Nexus 4EX to be capable of flying four to five passengers plus a pilot distances of around 100 km (62 mi) at a time
Bell expects the Nexus 4EX to be capable of flying four to five passengers plus a pilot distances of around 100 km (62 mi) at a time
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Bell's Nexus 4EX features four rotors and can be configured as a hybrid-electric or all-electric aircraft
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Bell's Nexus 4EX features four rotors and can be configured as a hybrid-electric or all-electric aircraft
Bell expects the Nexus 4EX to be capable of flying four to five passengers plus a pilot distances of around 100 km (62 mi) at a time
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Bell expects the Nexus 4EX to be capable of flying four to five passengers plus a pilot distances of around 100 km (62 mi) at a time
After offering a glimpse of its vision for flying taxis at last year's CES, Bell has returned to Las Vegas with what it considers a new and improved version
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After offering a glimpse of its vision for flying taxis at last year's CES, Bell has returned to Las Vegas with what it considers a new and improved version
Render of Bell's Nexus 4EX concept
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Render of Bell's Nexus 4EX concept
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After offering a look at its vision for flying taxis at last year's CES, Bell has returned to Las Vegas with what it considers a new and improved version. The Nexus 4EX, as the concept is now called, makes do with fewer rotors than the original and features a newly introduced all-electric mode for zero-emission travel over urban centers.

The Nexus aircraft Bell introduced at CES last year featured six tilting ducted fans that lay flat like pancakes when the vehicle was on the ground. A hybrid propulsion system featuring onboard batteries, a gas turbine and an electrical generator delivered power to six smart motors, which in turn spin the tilting propellors to lift the Nexus up and move it through the air.

Bell's Nexus 4EX features four rotors and can be configured as a hybrid-electric or all-electric aircraft
Bell's Nexus 4EX features four rotors and can be configured as a hybrid-electric or all-electric aircraft

Bell's redesign features just four rotors and can be configured as a hybrid-electric or all-electric aircraft, flexibility the company believes better lends the aircraft to commercial use. According to aviation news site FlightGlobal, Bell expects the Nexus 4EX to be capable of flying four to five passengers plus a pilot distances of around 100 km (62 mi) at a time, and to have a cruise speed of 241 km/h (150 mph).

“The vision for the Bell Nexus remains the same, but by taking a mature system level approach to design for an objective market vehicle, we believe this configuration unlocks a capable, certifiable and commercially viable product,” says Mitch Snyder, Bell president and CEO.

Source: Bell via FlightGlobal

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6 comments
6 comments
Nelson Hyde Chick
These things are going to be so noisy, just another thing to make urban life miserable.
Towerman
Nice, but i liked Airbuse's sleek "caryall" style VTOL more
Towerman
@Nelson Hyde Chick
No they are going to be a whisper compared to Streetbikes, ratrods, helicopters,supercars you name it, it will make urban life a pleasure !
seewind
an updated bell aero X-22. google it
Nelson Hyde Chick
These damn things are gong to make city life just that much louder, thus more unbearable! The poor will suffer the noise so the rich can fly over them in comfort.
Nelson Hyde Chick
I am afraid Towerman does not know basic physics or he would know how god awful loud these things will be.