Hyundai to launch autonomous electric flying vehicles by 2028

Hyundai plans for passengers to simply hail its upcoming flying vehicles from “vertiports” using an app, just as they would a conventional taxi

Hyundai will soon throw its weight behind the advanced air mobility (AAM) sector, with plans to launch an electric flying vehicle in 2028. The company will then expand the segment during the 2030s, with the aim of creating a new ride-hailing service based around the tech.

The company’s new aircraft will have vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capability, a bit like a Harrier Jump Jet. But, instead of burning kerosene, it’ll move around using rotors that are powered by electric motors and a battery pack. 

Hyundai also says the aircraft will be autonomous-capable, and that’ll be seating inside for up to five passengers. However, the vehicle won’t be able to take its passengers particularly far, with the Korean firm saying it’s been designed for “urban and urban-adjacent routes.”

The idea is that city-dwellers hail the new eVTOL vehicle using an app, jump on board at one of Hyundai’s “vertiports,” travel across the city to a landing site near their destination, then disembark and use an eScooter to get to their final destination. The firm’s future vision is detailed in the short video above.

Hyundai gave us an insight into its vision at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show, with the flying S-A1 Personal Air Vehicle (PAV) concept, and we expect the vehicle detailed in the company’s latest announcement will closely resemble this prototype. 

The S-A1 is a small, electrically powered, multi-rotor VTOL aircraft, designed specifically for city trips. As such, it was engineered to be as quiet as possible, for the benefit of both passenger comfort and reduced noise pollution. So the motors have less weight to heave around, Hyundai also planned for the vehicle to be made of carbon fibre composites.

Hyundai claims that the five-seat S-A1 would be capable of cruising at 180mph, at a maximum altitude of 2,000 feet for trips up to 60 miles long, enabling inter-city travel. When the concept was first unveiled, Hyundai said it wasn’t fully autonomous, but the company has mentioned that the need for a pilot could be phased out in the future.

The S-A1 concept was wrapped up in Hyundai’s partnership with Uber. Eventually, the duo hope to develop an air-based ride hailing network based on the technology. Hyundai has also signed a deal with the Canadian Advanced Air Mobility Consortium to help develop some of the policy for the programme and get its concept off the ground.

Hyundai plays a key role in the UK government’s Future Flight Challenge, too, which was set up to explore the feasibility and promote the uptake of AAM technology and green air travel at scale. The brand even plans to open a prototype vertiport next year, right here in Britain.

The firm already plays a role in the UK government’s Future Flight Challenge, which was set up to explore the feasibility of AAM technology. The brand even plans to open a prototype vertiport in Britain next year.

Most recently, Hyundai has restructured its electric flying vehicle offshoot business into its own entity, under the new name of Supernal. So it looks like the firm is taking this seriously.

Partnership
Need to sell your car?
Find your best offer from over 5,000+ dealers. It’s that easy.

Ben Diachun, Chief Technical Officer for Supernal, said: “We’re developing a commercially viable Advanced Air Mobility product from the start, designing and manufacturing our vehicle to the highest safety, noise, efficiency, and affordability standards. 

“Our growing team, which includes veterans of aerospace, automotive, and other deep-tech industries, is engineering sustainable vehicles that have the potential to evolve how we live, work, and play.”

Hyundai’s purpose-built vehicles

Hyundai also launched its concept for Purpose Built Vehicles at CES 2020, which were designed to work alongside the VTOL vehicles in the company’s future mobility vision.

The boxy electric pods are inspired by San Francisco cable cars – and their main purpose is to make ride-hailing a more personalised service. They’re stored under the S-A1’s docking station, (which Hyundai calls the Hub), and they’re designed to carry passengers from the helipad to the city.

The bodies sit atop an autonomous platform, and they can be disassembled and customised at the docking station. They have adjustable lengths of between four and six metres, to suit the needs of the body, and the cabin space is completely modular.

Hyundai says this latter feature means the Purpose Built Vehicles can be used as mobile function rooms, autonomous delivery vehicles or even commercial spaces, with specialised variants offering service as small pharmacies, hotel rooms or cafes, for example.

Now click here to read about Hyundai’s upcoming rival for the Tesla Model 3 – the Ioniq 6…

Recommended

‘The end is nigh for petrol-powered Hyundai N cars’
Opinion - Hyundai i20 N
Opinion

‘The end is nigh for petrol-powered Hyundai N cars’

John McIlroy thinks it’s hard to see another combustion-engined N car rolling off the production line at Hyundai
23 Nov 2023
New Hyundai N car to bring electric hot hatch thrills at a cheaper price
Hyundai baby N car
News

New Hyundai N car to bring electric hot hatch thrills at a cheaper price

Hyundai’s are planning to build a follow-up to Ioniq 5 N, and our exclusive image previews how it could look
23 Nov 2023
"Hyundai and Kia are now leading the way in electrification and design"
KIa EV9 - opinion
Opinion

"Hyundai and Kia are now leading the way in electrification and design"

Editor-in-chief Steve Fowler thinks the success of Hyundai and Kia is a good indication of how the balance of power has shifted in the car industry
22 Nov 2023
Best new cars coming in 2024
Best new cars coming in 2024 - header image
Best cars & vans

Best new cars coming in 2024

There are some big new models from the likes of Audi, BMW, Citroen, Ford, MINI, Skoda and more on the way in 2024
20 Nov 2023

Most Popular

New Nissan Qashqai to get radical look and all-electric power
Nissan Qashqai exclusive image - front
News

New Nissan Qashqai to get radical look and all-electric power

Major investment in Nissan’s Sunderland plant underpins the new fourth-generation Qashqai
8 Dec 2023
New Omoda 5 to take on the Nissan Qashqai and Hyundai Tucson when it arrives in early 2024
Omoda 5 - front
News

New Omoda 5 to take on the Nissan Qashqai and Hyundai Tucson when it arrives in early 2024

The new Omoda 5 SUV will only be available with an all-electric powertrain when it hits the UK next spring, but a hybrid option is expected later
8 Dec 2023
Polestar 4 awarded Car Design of the Year by Car Design News
Polestar 4 - front studio
News

Polestar 4 awarded Car Design of the Year by Car Design News

Car design’s most auspicious peer-awarded prize goes to Polestar 4, while Dacia Manifesto wins Concept Design of the Year
7 Dec 2023