Hyundai Motor, the world’s third largest company by sales, plans to build an electric flying taxi (eVTOL) for passengers at a plant in the United States.
Unveiled at the Electronics Show in January
Shin Jaewon said the company’s eVTOL will be unveiled next January at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Taxi speed and capacity
The taxi will have a flying speed of 190 km per hour and will be able to carry four passengers in addition to the pilot.
The fuel of the taxi will be electric.
Battery technology will be the most critical challenge since the eVTOL is electric, with batteries accounting for 40% of its total weight. The target time for flight tests is December 2024, and passenger services will begin four years later. The main reason is that battery technology, infrastructure will be changed as needed so it will take some time to be ready.
Washington, DC Located in the U.S., Supernal will seek certification for its eVTOL next month. shall apply to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Hyundai already has a car manufacturing plant in Alabama, and affiliate Kia has a plant in Georgia. Shin did not provide investment figures, size, potential locations or other details for the supernal plant.
The certificate has been received by China
Supernal has already received certification for eVTOL from Chinese company Yihang and has started flight testing in China. Joby Aviation in California has been approved by the FAA to begin testing flying taxis.