Hyundai Motor Group Unveils Flying Car Concept

An Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) company that's part of Hyundai Motor Group is showing off its latest flying car concept, the S-A2.   The company, Supernal LLC, unveiled it at this year's 2024 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). It builds on its S-A1 concept which it debuted at CES in 2020.

The concept is technically called an an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle.  It fits a pilot along with four passengers. It's designed initially for 25- to 40-mile trips in urban areas. Hyundai Motor Group says Supernal will achieve commercial aviation safety levels and enable affordable vehicle manufacturing as it prepares to enter the market in 2028.

“From the beginning, Supernal has been on a mission to create the right product and the right market at the right time,” said Jaiwon Shin, president of Hyundai Motor Group and CEO of Supernal. “The unveiling of S-A2 demonstrates our unwavering commitment to deliver on that mission with a safe, efficient vehicle design that provides a clear path to market entry. By leveraging our talented 600-person team, the vast technical and business capabilities of Hyundai Motor Group and trusted aviation suppliers around the world, Supernal is ready to deliver a new era of flight.”

You can watch it fly here:

Technical Components

The S-A2 is a V-tail aircraft designed to cruise 120 miles-per-hour at a 1,500-foot altitude. It features a distributed electric propulsion architecture and is equipped with eight all-tilting rotors. Hyundai Motor Group also says at entry into service, Supernal’s vehicle will operate as quietly as a dishwasher: 65 dB in vertical take-off and landing phases and 45 dB while cruising horizontally.

Hyundai Motor Group say the eVTOL is designed with a priority on safety and a focus on sustainability and passenger comfort. Engineered to achieve the global commercial aviation standard of safety, it has a robust airframe structure including redundant components in critical systems such as powertrain, flight controls and avionics. Hyundai says the all-tilting rotor configuration will power the vehicle through both the vertical-lift and horizontal-cruise phases of flight with unique efficiency. To maintain superior quality while also being cost-effective, the vehicle will be manufactured leveraging Hyundai’s mass production capability.

 

 

 

 

 

“Supernal’s product concept vehicle is the result of the creativity and hard work of our world-class team. S-A2 is designed to take full advantage of emerging electric powertrain advancements that will define the next generation of aviation,” said Ben Diachun, chief technology officer, Supernal. “From here, we will develop this concept into a revolutionary commercial product.”

As Supernal continues to optimize its vehicle for certification, mass production and expanded use cases, the Company is also focused on interior modularity and battery upgradability. This includes the ability to replace the battery module as technology advances.

Aesthetic Design

The S-A2 blends minimalistic design with functionality in a way that's designed to attract aviation operators and create the preferred AAM passenger experience. Different color palettes and materials are used for the pilot and passenger sections of the vehicle. Seat frames integrate aviation-grade, energy-absorbing components. Hyundai says lighting transitions throughout phases of flight allow the cabin to feel larger and to provide visual cues, such as where to enter and exit the vehicle.

“S-A2 is a true representation of ‘auto meets aero.’ Drawing on the competence of Supernal’s top aerospace engineers and Hyundai Motor Group’s world-renowned automotive designers to create human-centric design that maximizes passenger experience and safety,” said Luc Donckerwolke, president, chief design officer and chief creative officer, Hyundai Motor Group.

Drawing on experience from designing “smart cars” with similar efficient footprints and recent award-winning electric vehicles, Hyundai Motor Group says its designers also incorporated the latest in passenger experience and automotive design best-practices into S-A2.

For more on Supernal click here.

Photo Credit: Hyundai Motor Group.