Hyundai Motor Gets Into ‘Air-Taxi’ Business - Scheduled To Fly Commercially In 2028!

Hyundai Motor Group has launched Supernal, a standalone business that aims to make an affordable, zero-emission flying taxi service a reality!

For the record, Supernal is headquartered in Washington, D.C, with offices throughout California. It is headed by Jaiwon Shin, an aeronautics engineer who worked on aviation research and development at NASA for 30 years.

The company is shaping the future by developing a family of electric aircraft, with the first planned to offer commercial flights by 2028!

The aircraft will fit four or five people and be set to do vertical takeoff and landing. When regulations allow, the company will also build autonomous flights.

Supernal said that the electric aircraft would allow passengers to enjoy shorter travel periods depending on the routes. For example, the electric aircraft could shorten a trip between Los Angeles and Anaheim to 24 minutes instead of 70 minutes on the road. 

The aircraft will rely on batteries for most trips, but for longer trips, Supernal is looking into the potential of hydrogen fuel cells. HMG is currently partnering with Urban AirPort, a company based in the U.K., to develop the infrastructure required for flying taxis.

Supernal will also upgrade HMG's production expertise to build the aircraft at scale to make the flights more affordable for everyone. They aim to make the ticket cheaper than flying in a conventional helicopter.

According to Shin, the segment could be worth $1.5 trillion (RM 6.3 trillion)!

That explains why there are several major players in this space, like Volocopter and Joby Aviation.