Hyundai is reportedly eyeing for a 2028 release year on its electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOLs) service for consumers under intermediary Supernal, while simultaneously unveiling the latest vehicle concept of its eVTOL, the S-A2 at CES 2024.
Hyundai states that the S-A2 expands upon the company's S-A1 vision concept, which made its debut at CES 2020. It supposedly combines cutting-edge aerospace engineering with the aesthetically pleasing automotive design of the Hyundai Motor Group to provide a new means of transportation that will enable people to move from point A to point B in metropolitan areas more quickly.
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Hyundai and Uber's all-electric full-scale electric air taxi, S-AI, is displayed during CES 2020 at the Las Vegas Convention Center on January 7, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Verge adds that visually, Supernal's S-A2 proves to be similar to other air taxi concepts, comparable to those from Joby Aviation, Wisk Aero, and Archer Aviation, with its eight tilt rotors and egg-shaped cabin.
The same report adds that Hyundai's Supernal claims its S-A2 concept can reach a height of 1,500 feet and travel at 120 mph. It has enough battery power to last the kind of 25-40 mile flights that affluent business people typically use helicopters on between airports and downtowns.
The Business Times states that the flying taxi will be a cross between a fixed-wing aircraft and a helicopter, unlike other rival vehicles that are mostly powered by rotors. The company also claimed that the battery-operated S-A2 would be silent, effective, and emission-free.
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Supernal's Testing Stage
Tech Crunch adds that as it moves toward a commercial launch, Supernal, according to Jaiwon Shin, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor Group and Supernal, has expanded to a staff of 600 and is utilizing the technical and business skills of Hyundai Motor Group and aviation suppliers worldwide.
Supernal CTO Ben Diachun reportedly stated outside the event that there is still a good deal of work to be done before that can occur as the S-A2 will reportedly first have to complete a drawn-out Type 1 certification process with the Federal Aviation Administration.
According to Diachun, the business would start testing its "technology demonstrator cars" in California this year. Supernal also plans to submit its application to the FAA this year. According to Supernal, the FAA will get its proposal for compliance actions in 2025.
According to Shin, Hyundai is testing various battery options for the vehicle as the company is working on different chemistries to make sure it can benefit from the most advanced battery technology, as per Business Times, citing a Bloomberg interview as a source.
Hyundai's Supernal at CES 2024
The S-A2 is reportedly displayed at CES 2024 at the Supernal Vertiport stand, close to the Las Vegas Convention Center's West Hall in the Diamond parking lot.
In addition to learning about potential flight networks and the technology supporting them, attendees will get reportedly the chance to see the vehicle product concept, experience a simulated flight above Los Angeles, and comprehend how vertiports and other transportation modes will facilitate quicker and easier metropolitan journeys all under one roof.
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