The future of urban mobility is not on the ground but in the air. That’s the vision of Hyundai Motor Group and its Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) company, Supernal. At the CES 2024 show in Las Vegas, they unveiled their electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle product concept, the S-A2. This pilot-plus-four-passenger aircraft is designed to offer a fast, safe, and affordable way to travel in congested cities. It is also a key component of Hyundai’s smart mobility ecosystem, which integrates various modes of transportation and services to enhance the quality of life for urban dwellers.
S-A2: A New Mode of Transportation
The S-A2 eVTOL is the latest milestone in Supernal’s roadmap to commercialize everyday passenger air travel by 2028. It builds on the vision concept S-A1, which debuted at CES 2020, and incorporates the innovative aerospace engineering and automotive aesthetic design of the Hyundai Motor Group. The S-A2 is a V-tail aircraft that features a distributed electric propulsion architecture and has eight all-tilting rotors. It can cruise at 120 miles per hour at a 1,500-foot altitude and has a range of 25 to 40 miles, depending on the load and weather conditions. It can also operate as quietly as a dishwasher, with 65 dB in vertical take-off and landing phases and 45 dB while cruising horizontally.
The S-A2 is designed with a priority on safety and a focus on sustainability and passenger comfort. It has a robust airframe structure that includes redundant components in critical systems such as powertrain, flight controls, and avionics. It also has a fly-by-wire system allowing precise and stable flight control. The all-tilting rotor configuration enables the vehicle to transition smoothly from vertical lift to horizontal cruise and vice versa, with high efficiency. The vehicle is also equipped with a large panoramic window that offers a spacious and airy cabin for the passengers and a digital cockpit that displays essential information for the pilot.
To ensure superior quality and cost-effectiveness, the S-A2 will be manufactured using Hyundai’s mass production capability. The vehicle will also leverage Hyundai’s expertise in battery technology, electric powertrain, and lightweight materials. The S-A2 will be compatible with Hyundai’s vertiport concept, a network of landing and take-off pads that can be integrated with existing infrastructure such as parking lots, rooftops, and highways. The vertiports will provide charging, maintenance, and passenger services for the eVTOL vehicles and connect them with other modes of transportation, such as electric cars, buses, and scooters.
Supernal: A Leader in AAM
Supernal is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Group that was established in 2020 to develop and commercialize AAM solutions. It is led by Jaiwon Shin, a former NASA executive who is now the president of Hyundai Motor Group and the CEO of Supernal. The company has a team of more than 600 experts from various fields such as aerospace, automotive, software, and design. It also collaborates with trusted aviation suppliers and partners around the world to deliver a new era of flight.
“From the beginning, Supernal has been on a mission to create the right product and the right market at the right time,” said Shin. “The unveiling of S-A2 eVTOL demonstrates our unwavering commitment to deliver on that mission with a safe, efficient vehicle design that provides a clear path to market entry. By leveraging our talented team, the vast technical and business capabilities of Hyundai Motor Group, and trusted aviation suppliers around the world, Supernal is ready to deliver a new era of flight.”
