Image credits: Kirsten Kolosek
Supernal, an advanced air mobility company owned by Hyundai Motor Group, has completed the latest version of its electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, called the S-A2, which executives say is designed to transport passengers by 2028. Says.
The S-A2 is essentially a more fully baked version of what it intends to launch commercially, and at least for now, Hyundai is still intent on entering the electric air taxi business, where it doesn’t yet exist. It confirms that there is.
That timeline, announced on Tuesday during CES 2024, took shape three years after the company revealed the Vision Concept, also known as the S-A1. At the time, Hyundai announced a partnership with Uber Elevate, a company acquired by Joby Aviation, to develop and potentially mass-produce air taxis for future airline ride-sharing networks. Uber Elevate announced it would begin flight demonstrations in 2020 and offer commercial rides in 2023.
The evTOL industry still lacks a single commercial operator, so Hyundai’s Supernal returns to CES 2024 with a more grounded plan.
And while Hyundai hasn’t revealed the exact amount of its investment, it’s certainly putting resources into the project to get there. Supernal has grown to a team of 600 people and is working with Hyundai Motor Group and aviation suppliers around the world in preparation for the commercial launch, said Jaiwon Shin, Hyundai Motor Group President and CEO of Supernal. It also utilizes its technical and business capabilities.
Supernal CTO Ben Diachun noted on the sidelines of the event that there’s still quite a bit of work to do before that happens.
Before the S-A2 can fly commercially, it must go through a lengthy Type 1 certification process by the Federal Aviation Administration. Diachun said the company plans to begin testing a so-called technology demonstration vehicle in California this year. Supernal also plans to submit an application to the FAA this year. In 2025, Supernal plans to submit a proposal for compliance measures to the FAA, he added.
nuts and bolts
The aircraft shown Tuesday is a V-tail configuration with a distributed electric propulsion architecture and eight fully tilted rotors. The S-A2 is equipped with redundant components such as the powertrain, flight controls, and avionics, all of which are safety-critical systems required for civil aviation.
The aircraft is designed to cruise at 120 miles per hour at an altitude of 1,500 feet. It was initially intended for suburban-to-city travel, and the distance traveled would be between 40 and 40 miles.
Diachun claimed on stage that the plane operates at about 65 decibels during takeoff and landing, and 45 decibels while cruising, about the same as a dishwasher.
The company’s designers and engineers made the interior modular, including the ability to swap out batteries as technology improves.