Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing in the City: The Implications for Air Transportation and Aircraft Manufacturing in the US, according to Supernal
The last time Hyundai brought an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) prototype to CES, it was 2020, and the South Korean automaker was talking bullishly about adding it to Uber’s forthcoming air taxi network.
The other global companies see small electric aircraft flying over the cities. Stellantis, which owns Jeep, Chrysler, and Dodge, is committed to mass-producing air taxis for Archer Aviation. United and Delta airlines are also invested in the technology, as are Boeing and NASA.
The S-A2 concept can reach an altitude of 1,500 feet and cruise at 120mph. It packs enough battery capacity for the type of 25- to 40-mile trips that helicopters commonly conduct between downtowns and airports for wealthy business types.
The company says its aircraft will operate as quietly as a dishwasher, emitting 65 decibels in vertical takeoff and landing phases and 45 decibels while cruising horizontally. By comparison, the average helicopter puts out between 96 and 107db. Next to eliminating pollution, noise reduction is the most common argument in favor of electric aircraft.
Supernal, a company that wants to replace noisy helicopter and regional plane with all-electric, multi-rotor vehicles, is among a group of companies that want to change the look and feel of airports.
As they slowly progress through many testing procedures mandated by a lengthy regulatory process, they’ve rallied around new calls like e VTOL and air taxis.
Supernal’s ties to Hyundai could give it an advantage in the manufacturing of its aircraft, as the spinoff will be able to rely on the automaker’s mass production capabilities to help it get started. When it comes to regulatory approval, the company will not have any special advantages.
FAA rules require aviation companies to have three different types of certifications before they can start offering commercial services in the US: type certification, production certification and air carrier certification.
The Supernal SA-2 Interior at CES: Designing an Insect Based On The Interaction Between Birds, Mice, and the Stars
Supernal says it’s putting a lot of focus on batteries, particularly, the ability to upgrade to lighter cells when the technology improves. Power-to-weight ratio is a big challenge for electric flight. Heavy batteries create more weight, requiring more power to compensate, and even bigger batteries. That’s why Supernal and others are focused on short flights and regional hops.
But Supernal isn’t so daunted by the technological challenges that it can’t picture a cozy interior with fine leather upholstery. The lighting is intended to make it appear that the room is in a bigger space.
While this CES has been a more subdued affair in the on-road electric vehicle space—with Ford, General Motors, Toyota, and Stellantis all not exhibiting at the show—2024 seems to be a year of companies once again trying their darnedest to make flying cars happen.
The S-A2 will be 65 decibels quieter in the takeoff and landing phases and 45 decibels in cruising, according to the promise from Supernal.
The design of the SA-2 is striking. Luc Donckerwolke, the president,chief design officer, and chief creative officer of Hyundai Motor Group, gaveWIRED a tour of the interior. (The brand hosted WIRED at its media event at CES and paid for a portion of our reporter’s travel expense.) On the tour, Donckerwolke revealed that the placing of the glazing on the fuselage was modeled on specific biological entities: insects.
