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Hyundai Motor Group’s Urban Air Mobility Division has become the latest company involved in the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) space to join the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) as an “associate member full.” The South Korean automotive group announced its intentions to enter the air mobility market at the start of 2020, but has yet to report any further progress or a timeline for service entry for its planned Personal Air Vehicles. (PAVs).
GAMA created the associate member full category in 2018 as a growing number of companies jumped into&nbsp;eVTOL, hybrid/electric, autonomous, and other emerging technology fields. Hyundai has become the ninth member currently in that category, but another two dozen companies involved in such technologies have joined the association as an associate member EPIC (Electric Propulsion and Innovation Committee) category. The "associate member full" category of membership enables a deeper commitment to and participation in the association.
At the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2020, Hyundai announced a partnership with Uber Elevate to develop air taxis and released its concept for an eVTOL, the all-electric S-A1 PAV that will cruise at 180 mph at 1,000 to 2,000 feet with a range of up to 60 miles. The S-A1 is to have distributed electric propulsion, powering multiple rotors and propellers around the airframe.
According to Hyundai, its urban air mobility partnership with Uber will be advanced in tandem with wider plans for more environmentally sustainable transportation. The company has plans to develop a network of so-called Hub "mobility connection points" where travelers would transfer between electric aircraft and "Purpose Built Vehicles" for ground transportation.
The design for the four-passenger S-A1 unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas featured four sets of rotors for vertical lift and four propellers for cruise flight. Initially, the aircraft would have a pilot onboard but Hyundai envisages autonomous operations eventually.
According to Hyundai, the batteries for the S-A1 will only take between five- and seven minutes to recharge but the company has provided no further information on the vehicle's propulsion system. At the time of the announcement, Uber indicated that it expects the Hyundai eVTOL to be ready to enter service in 2028.
In early September 2020, Hyundai started posting around 50 new vacancies in its urban air mobility division to fill various engineering positions at its facilities in California. The company is also recruiting a corporate communications manager, which may lead to greater visibility for its eVTOL program.
“It is exciting to see automotive manufacturers enter the advanced air mobility sector of the aviation industry. The innovative technologies that are coming out of this rapidly growing sector are propelling general and business aviation into the future,” said GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce.

Managing Editor

Charles Alcock

Hyundai Joins General Aviation Manufacturers Association

Hyundai Motor Company and Uber are working together to develop a new electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to be used for rideshare air-taxi service. The announcement was made on the eve of this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas last month, making the South Korean automotive group the eighth prospective eVTOL aircraft manufacturer selected by Uber to support its planned Uber Air rideshare service.
At CES, Hyundai displayed a scale model of a “personal air vehicle” designated the S-A1. The all-electric aircraft is projected to offer a range of 60 miles, speeds of up to 180 mph, and a cruising altitude of between 1,000 and 2,000 feet.
Hyundai has yet to announce a timeline for certifying the new aircraft and it is unclear when it expects to fly a full-scale prototype. Uber has said it wants to start flight demonstrations this year with aircraft produced by its partners and be ready to start commercial air-taxi service in 2023.
The eVTOL, which features four sets of rotors for vertical lift and four propellers for cruise flight, will seat four passengers. It will initially have a pilot on board, but the plan is for the S-A1 eventually to be flown autonomously. According to Hyundai, the aircraft’s batteries will need between five and seven minutes to recharge.
Uber said Hyundai will be able to produce aircraft on a far greater and more cost-effective scale than its other partners. These include experienced aerospace companies such as Boeing (through its Aurora Flight Sciences subsidiary), Embraer, Bell, and Pipistrel Aircraft, as well as three startups: Karem Aircraft, Joby Aviation, and Jaunt Air Mobility.
“Hyundai is our first vehicle partner with experience of manufacturing passenger cars on a global scale,” said Uber Elevate head Eric Allison. “We believe Hyundai has the potential to build Uber Air vehicles at rates unseen in the current aerospace industry, producing high-quality, reliable aircraft at high volumes to drive down passenger costs per trip. Combining Hyundai’s manufacturing muscle with Uber’s technology platform represents a giant leap forward for launching a vibrant air-taxi network in the coming years.”
Jaiwon Shin, the recently appointed executive vice president and head of Hyundai’s urban air mobility division, said its aircraft will “transform the concept of urban transportation.” However, Hyundai has not outlined how many engineers it has working on the new program and what experience they have in developing aircraft.
At CES, Hyundai also unveiled its Purpose Built Vehicle (PBV), which it bills as an “eco-friendly” ground-based mobility solution, and the Hub, which it said will be used for transfers between the PBV and the new Hyundai eVTOL. The company did not announce a development timeline or specifications for either the PBV or Hub.

Production Manager

Martha Jercinovich

Hyundai and Uber Announce eVTOL Air-taxi Partnership

Hyundai Motor Group plans to have a "flying car" ready to start commercial air taxi services in 2029. The South Korean automaker's strategic move into aviation is part of a wider $52 billion investment in electric vehicle and disruptive mobility technology.&nbsp;
Giving the keynote address at the Mobility Innovators Forum in San Francisco on November 9, executive vice chairman Chung Euisun announced&nbsp;the South Korean company's intentions and said that it will have an aircraft flying by 2023. He&nbsp;indicated that it is looking to partner with existing aviation companies, including new start-ups in the urban air mobility (UAM) sector.
As yet, Hyundai has not provided any projected performance details or specifications for the aircraft. In October, it announced the appointment of Dr. Jaiwon Shu as executive vice president of the group's new UAM division.&nbsp;&nbsp;He was previously head of NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate.&nbsp;
Earlier in 2019&nbsp;Hyundai set up the Human-Centered City Advisory Group to bring together engineers, urban planners, and psychologists to prepare plans for future city infrastructure. It was expected to publish a blueprint before the end of 2019. The company also has been conducting its own 2050 Future City Project, which focuses on future transportation needs and concepts.
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