LAS VEGAS - We hear a lot of talk about "smart cities" at CES, but it's hard to imagine what they will actually look like. The partnership announced today (January 6) between Hyundai and Uber Elevate gives us a better idea of how public transportation could change in a more connected future.

You may be wondering what the Korean automaker Hyundai is doing with Uber Elevate, which specializes in aerial ridesharing. That's where Hyundai's Urban Air Mobility Concept, which was teased for CES 2020, comes in.

The UAM is an all-electric plane designed with Uber-like services in mind. The plane can take off and land vertically, which is crucial in space-constrained cities. According to Hyundai, the company's UAM concept will most likely be piloted by a pilot, but the company envisions an autonomous version someday.

In theory, the UAM would dock at the S Hub (a station designed for both air and ground mobility) and would also support Hyundai's other public transportation concept, the Airstream-type Purpose Built Vehicle (PBV). Ideally, PBVs would be modular spaces on wheels that could be used for a variety of purposes, from rolling cafes to emergency clinics.

Needless to say, Hyundai's pitch here is more theoretical. This is not the first time the company has come to CES with a non-functioning idea for future transportation that seems rather ambitious, to say the least. Last year, Hyundai unveiled a prototype of the Cradle, a walking vehicle designed to traverse terrain impossible to traverse by car.

Similarly, the automaker expects this particular UAM aircraft, dubbed the S-A1, to hit the market no sooner than 2029 or later; Uber is looking to fully deploy its air service by 2023, which is really a long way off; by the end of the decade, the company will have a "Cradle," which will be able to traverse terrain that is impossible for cars, Hyundai may be in a market that requires specialized air cabs like the ones Hyundai is foretelling here.

Much of the appeal of UAM seems great in theory, despite all the challenges such a large infrastructure and regulatory undertaking faces. The aircraft would carry five passengers (including the pilot) and could reportedly fly at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour. While this seems like overkill for relatively short distances within a city, Hyundai says the UAM is also ideal for longer trips, such as across suburban areas. In fact, the company estimates that a 90-minute commute in the city could be reduced to just 10 minutes.

Like last year's Cradle, CES attendees can see a full-scale design model of the UAM at the Hyundai booth at CES 2020. The scale model was on stage at Hyundai's press conference.

Be sure to check out our CES 2020 hub for the latest news and hands-on impressions from Las Vegas.