Hyundai Motor Group's Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) business, Supernal LLC, has stolen the spotlight at CES 2024 with the debut of their groundbreaking electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) product concept, the S-A2. The unveiling marks a significant stride in Supernal's mission to revolutionize urban air travel by delivering safe, efficient, affordable transportation for everyday travelers.
Technical Marvels: Aeronautics and Efficiency
The S-A2 eVTOL boasts a V-tail design, capable of cruising at 200 km/h at an altitude of 500 meters – perfectly tailored to meet the operational demands of city travel, with initial trips ranging from 40 to over 60 km. Its innovative distributed electric propulsion architecture and eight pivoting rotor blades promise a quiet experience, measuring just 65 dB for vertical take-off and landing and a mere 45 dB during horizontal flight – as quiet as a household dishwasher.
Safety and durability are at the forefront of the S-A2's design, featuring a robust fuselage with redundant components in critical systems such as powertrain, flight controls, and avionics. The unique pivoting rotor blade configuration ensures efficient propulsion both vertically and horizontally, all while maintaining the superior quality expected from commercial aviation. Leveraging Hyundai's mass production capabilities, the S-A2 aims to achieve cost-effectiveness without compromising safety and performance.
Ben Diachun, Chief Technology Officer at Supernal, affirms, "Supernal's product concept is the result of creativity and hard work from a world-class team, designed to take full advantage of all the advances in electric propulsion that will define the next generation of aviation."
