After just two years since Hyundai Motor Group launched its urban air mobility division, Supernal hits a milestone on the way to commercial eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) operations. The City of Miami wants to become an example when it comes to innovative transportation, and Supernal will help it implement an AAM (advanced air mobility) strategy.
Supernal was launched at the beginning of 2020, under a different name, and started developing a family of electric air vehicles for AAM. One important step towards future commercial operations is a recent partnership with the City of Miami. The collaboration’s main goal is to create a roadmap for AAM based on working with community stakeholders and other industry partners. Future transportation using eVTOLs is not just about developing the vehicles themselves but also about the adequate infrastructure and the related policies.
Through this project, described as a “first-of-its-kind collaboration,” the two partners will focus mainly on determining the gaps in current transportation legislation and on recommending the best policies for filling those gaps. But their collaboration will be much wider, including also education initiatives, workforce development, and the integration of AAM within current transit networks. According to Jaiwon Shin, CEO of Supernal, and President of Hyundai Motor Group, Miami has the potential of becoming a model for other cities in terms of AAM development.
Earlier this year, Hyundai’s AAM division also joined forces with Urban-Air Port (UAP), a British startup specializing in vertiport development. UAP’s infrastructure is meant for large-scale operations of cargo drones and air taxis, including something known as “the world’s smallest airport” – an ultra-compact hub for aircraft command and control, eVTOL charging, cargo loading, and other operations. The company’s first fully-operational eVTOL hub will be open to the public by April this year.
In the meantime, Supernal will also be preparing the way for future eVTOL operations in Miami, with the first commercial flights scheduled for 2028