2021.12.24 Hyundai Motor Group
Mobility Technology Unfolds Skywards
How will technology shape your future?
The future mobility technology of Hyundai Motor Group Group is all about pursuing an innovative lifestyle that enables people to achieve more valuable objectives, breaking the limits of time and space. Connectivity is the core of future mobility solutions; people get to experience innovative mobility within the ecosystem that connects different types of mobility.
One example would be Urban Air Mobility (UAM) that flies in the sky freely. In a future city, you can fly to the Hub through the city skyscrapers in an UAM, then transfer to an eco-friendly autonomous vehicle right away. Hyundai Motor Group is leading the way in developing safe and convenient UAM for urban uses.
FUTURE | Endless Freedom: New Future of Urban Air Mobility
Hyundai Motor Group has outlined its commitment to provide customers with freely moving seamless mobility that connects the sky and the ground. And UAM is the core technology that would enable aviation without constraints on geography and time to become a much more accessible means of public transportation.
Hyundai Motor Group established a UAM-exclusive department in 2019 to realize the ‘Democratization of Flight’, expecting to commercialize by 2028. And to this end, the Group is focusing on creating an agile product roadmap and securing core technologies such as aircraft design, flight control software, and safety technology. In addition, we plan to maximize synergy by actively utilizing automotive technologies such as batteries, motors, lightweight materials, and autonomous driving.
TECHNOLOGY | Core Technologies of UAM
Technical features of UAM
In order for an UAM to fly in crowded cities, it must have top-notch technologies. UAM houses Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP) that independently drives multiple rotors to reduce noise and prevent safety hazards.
KEY TECH | Distributed Electric Propulsion: Perfectly Suitable for Personal Air Vehicles in Dense Urban Areas
There is a reason why UAM is the perfect personal air vehicle in dense urban areas – it’s that it houses Distributed Electric Propulsion technology. Distributed electric propulsion technology uses electric energy created from one single battery to operate multiple independent rotors; so even if one rotor fails, the vehicle still flies safely as the others continue to run. Also, to minimize noise, it uses smaller rotors than those of a helicopter, and only uses certain rotors when necessary for various flight conditions such as takeoff, landing, or in the middle of a flight.
KEY TECH | UAM Vision Concept: S-A1
S-A1 is a concept model presented by Hyundai Motor Group as their first vision of the UAM business. With a total of eight rotors, the S-A1 has a 15-meter-long wing and a 10.7-meter-long body, enabling vertical take-off and landing without a runway. A total of five people, including a pilot, can fly trips up to about 100 km. It is designed for a cruising speed up to 290 km/h, and the high-speed battery charging only takes about 5 minutes while passengers get in and out of the vehicle. In addition, the parachute deployment system for emergency situations, quiet cabin design that helps smooth communication between passengers, and lightweight carbon composite materials ensure safety, convenience, and cost-efficiency.
S-A1 Specifications
- Maximum of 5 passengers (including pilot)
- Maximum speed 290km/h
- Cruising altitude of 300m – 600m
- Single trip up to 100km
- Charging time around 5 to 7 mins.
HISTORY | The History of UAM Development
| Year | History |
|---|---|
| 2019 |
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| 2020 |
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| 2021 |
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| 2028 |
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