Hyundai’s eVTOL is a step closer* to taking flight

Y’know the drill with flying cars and eVTOLs: forever stuck at the concept stage, never actually ready to take to the skies. This Supernal S-A2 is… no different. But things have moved along since the last time we checked in with the Hyundai-backed project.

Quick recap? Things got off the ground (not literally) in 2020 with the S-A1 concept, a 180mph idea committed to glossy 2D render. Then in 2022 we got yet more digitised images with the benefit of two years’ thought into how to make the thing happen. Plus a commitment to be airworthy by 2028.

That timeframe still stands, apparently, as Supernal unveils this latest concept, revealed at CES in Las Vegas this week. It seats four plus a pilot, will cruise at 120mph at an altitude of 1,500ft, and is designed to make journeys of 25-40 miles. Trans-city, airport hops… that sort of thing.

As such, the S-A2 is designed to be quiet. As quiet as, claims Supernal, a dishwasher. That bastion of white-good silentness. Ahem. We’re talking (whispering?) 45dB at a cruise and 65dB for take-off.

Oh, and the company is banking on vertiports (no prizes for unpicking that one) becoming A Thing, so it can utilise its eight-rotor system for vertical-take-off-and-landing. Once airborne, the rotors will tilt to provide forwards as well as upwards thrust.

“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.”

Like any aircraft safety comes first, but the team is also working on stuff like the interior (aviation-grade, energy-absorbing parts are built into the seat frames and there’s ambient lighting to distinguish the pilot and passenger zones) and Supernal is keeping an eye on battery tech that might allow more range or performance.

“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, Supernal’s chief technology officer. “From here, we will develop this concept into a revolutionary commercial product.”

We await the day Hyundai becomes Flyundai…