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Supernal, Hyundai Motor Group's Advanced Air Mobility company, unveiled its eVTOL concept at the Consumer Electric Show 2024 on Tuesday. The S-A2 is a pilot-plus-four-passenger vehicle and signifies a major milestone in Supernal's plan to commercialize safe, efficient and cost-effective everyday passenger air travel.
The S-A2 eVTOL builds upon the company vision concept, S-A1, unveiled at CES 2020. The new concept integrates advanced aerospace engineering and Hyundai Motor Group automotive design to build a new type of transport. With the introduction of eVTOL aircraft, people in urban areas can more easily move from point A to point B. Supernal hopes to reach commercial aviation safety levels and allow for affordable manufacturing of the vehicles 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 worldwide, Supernal is ready to deliver a new era of flight."
The S-A2 eVTOL concept was designed to cruise at 120 miles per hour at a 1,500-foot altitude to meet city operations needs with 25- to 40-mile trips. The eVTOL features a distributed electric propulsion architecture with eight all-tilting rotors. As the Supernal eVTOL enters service, it will operate as quietly as a dishwasher, with 65 dB in vertical takeoff and landing phases and 45 dB while cruising horizontally. The concept has been designed with safety, sustainability and passenger comfort in mind. The eVTOL has a robust airframe structure with redundant components and critical systems like the powertrain, flight controls and avionics. The all-tilting rotor configuration will power the eVTOL through different phases of flight. Supernal maintains quality while remaining cost-effective by manufacturing the eVTOL using Hyundai's mass production capabilities.
As Supernal progresses toward certification, mass production and expanded use cases, the company focuses on interior modularity and battery upgradability. These focuses include the ability to replace the battery module as technology continues to advance.
"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," Supernal CTO Ben Diachun said. "From here, we will develop this concept into a revolutionary commercial product."
The Supernal engineering team partnered with Hyundai Motor Group's automotive designers on the aesthetics of the S-A2. With different color palettes and materials creating distinct pilot and passenger sections of the plane, aviation-grade energy-absorbing components integrated into the set frames, and lighting transitions through different phases of flight, Supernal has utilized both design and functionality. With experience designing smart cars and award-winning electric vehicles, Hyundai Motor Group designers have also incorporated modern, high-quality passenger experiences and automotive best practices into the S-A2.
"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.