The world’s third-largest carmaker is positioning itself at the forefront of Advanced Air Mobility. At CES 2024, Hyundai Motor Group’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) company, Supernal LLC, unveiled its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) product concept S-A2.
Building on the vision concept S-A1, first debuted at CES 2020, the S-A2 is a pilot-plus-four-passenger aircraft is designed to cruise 120 miles-per-hour at a 1,500-foot altitude. The vehicle uses a distributed electric propulsion architecture and has eight all-tilting rotors.
Ben Diachun, Chief Technology Officer, Supernal said:
“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. From here, we will develop this concept into a revolutionary commercial product.”
Supernal is working to make AAM a reliable option for everyday needs, integrating it into existing transportation networks to facilitate seamless, environmentally friendly travel. As the vehicle is fully electric, it uses cleaner and more efficient sources of energy which will “eventually yield wider adoption across the aviation industry.”
According to the press release, the vehicle is engineered to achieve the global commercial aviation standard of safety, with a robust airframe structure including redundant components in critical systems such as powertrain, flight controls and avionics. The all-tilting rotor configuration will power the vehicle through both the verticallift and horizontal-cruise phases of flight with unique efficiency.
Supernal is preparing to enter the market in 2028 where it will compete against fellow eVTOL producers like Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation.
For more like this see:
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- Supernal Advanced Air Mobility eVTOL Cabin Concept Wins 2023 iF Design Award