Hyundai Motor Group has formed a new company called Supernal, an evolution of its Urban Air Mobility Division, which will be the binding component of the Group’s future mobility vision. The company is developing a family of electric air vehicles and convening public and private stakeholders to responsibly shape the emerging Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) industry. It plans to launch its first commercial flight in 2028 and scale operations, leveraging the Group’s manufacturing expertise, as the AAM market and public acceptance begin to grow in the 2030s.
“In adding a new dimension to mobility, we are on a mission to transform how people and society move, connect, and live,” said Jaiwon Shin, Chief Executive Officer of Supernal and President, of Hyundai Motor Group. “We have bold ambitions at Supernal but being first to market is not one of them. We are working to build the right product and the right integrated market, and we will leverage Hyundai Motor Group’s scaled manufacturing expertise to ensure AAM reaches the right price point and is accessible to the masses.”
Supernal is working to integrate AAM into existing transit networks and to shape a seamless intermodal passenger experience. The vision is for passengers to use a single app – like current rideshare platforms – to plan their journey, which could include taking a car or rail from home to an AAM "vertiport," an eVTOL across town, and an e-scooter for the last mile.
Supernal, launched as the Urban Air Mobility Division of Hyundai Motor Group at CES 2020, where it introduced its initial concept vehicle, the S-A1. The company continues to develop and enhance the eVTOL vehicle it will bring to market first and plans to begin certification with US regulatory agencies in 2024. Supernal’s first air vehicle will be electric-powered and autonomous-capable and is planned to accommodate four to five passengers on initial urban and urban-adjacent routes.
“We’re developing a commercially viable Advanced Air Mobility product from the start, designing and manufacturing our vehicle to the highest safety, noise, efficiency, and affordability standards,” said Ben Diachun, Chief Technology Officer, Supernal. “Our growing team, which includes veterans of aerospace, automotive, and other deep-tech industries, is engineering sustainable vehicles that have the potential to evolve how we live, work, and play.”