Automotive giant Hyundai showcased the concept of the S-A2 electric taxi with vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) at the CES 2024 exhibition in Las Vegas. This is a new version of the S-A1 concept that was introduced four years earlier. The development and enhancement of the aircraft, which features eight rotors, is being handled by Supernal, a company owned by Hyundai Motor Group.
According to Neil Marshall, head of production strategy at Supernal, the S-A2 concept is expected to receive official approval in 2026. After that, the company will rapidly move toward launching the service. The first electric taxi rides are planned for 2028.
What is the Hyundai Supernal S-A2?
So what is it? An air taxi designed to transport people while avoiding street traffic?
The model is eco-friendly, as it is fully electric. This sleek aircraft has five seats: one for the pilot and four for passengers. It is equipped with eight rotating propellers. Once the aircraft lifts off, all eight propellers rotate 90 degrees, transitioning the vehicle from helicopter-like flight to fixed-wing propeller flight.
The current version will cover distances of 40-60 kilometers and reach speeds of up to 193 km/h. The maximum flight altitude will be 450 meters. Supernal engineers say the new taxis will not be excessively loud: the noise level during flight will not exceed 45 dB, and during takeoff it will be 65 dB.
Developers say that because there will be only a few Supernal vehicles in the initial phase, a ride in a flying taxi will not be cheap. The exact cost is still unclear. However, as the fleet of Hyundai Supernal S-A2s increases, the company expects prices to fall, gradually approaching regular taxi rates.
The company aims to build as many of these vehicles as possible and put them into operation. “We need to achieve a price point that makes the service accessible to everyone, not just wealthy individuals and company executives,” Mr. Marshall noted.
Supernal also plans to create a network of vertiports where the electric taxis can land. The sites will be near key destinations such as airports and hospitals — places people need to reach quickly, the Daily Mail reported.
Vertiport — a takeoff and landing area for electric aircraft with vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) or other modern modes of transportation.
Hyundai is expected to help by providing special vehicles to transport passengers to and from vertiports, similar to airport shuttles. The long-term plan includes building vertiports for Hyundai’s taxi service in key transportation hubs around the world.
