HYUNDAI TAKES TO THE SKIES WITH SUPERNAL
‘In a few years, rush hour may be a thing of the past,’ says Supernal in its debut brand video. Launched in November 2021 as part of Hyundai Motor Group, Supernal is a new company that’s on a mission to make affordable Advanced Air Mobility for everyone.
‘In adding a new dimension to mobility, we are on a mission to transform how people and society move, connect, and live,’ said Jaiwon Shin, CEO of Supernal and President of Hyundai. ‘We have bold ambitions at Supernal but being first to market is not one of them. We are working to build the right product and the right integrated market, and we will leverage Hyundai Motor Group’s scaled manufacturing expertise to ensure AAM reaches the right price point and is accessible to the masses.’
As part of its mission, Supernal is developing a family of electric air vehicles and plans to launch its first commercial eVTOL flight in 2028. Its also recently announced a partnership with Miami and its Mayor Suarez to develop Advanced Air Mobility for the city.
‘We are honored to play a role in responsibly co-creating the future of mobility for the city of Miami,’ said Shin. ‘Because of the leadership demonstrated by Mayor Suarez, our work together will help establish the city of Miami as a model for AAM market development we hope to replicate in other cities.’
Supernal is working to integrate AAM into existing transit networks and to shape a seamless intermodal passenger experience. The vision is for passengers to use a single app — like current rideshare platforms — to plan their journey, which could include taking a car or rail from home to an AAM ‘vertiport’, an eVTOL across town, and an e-scooter for the last mile.
The company’s first air vehicle will be electric-powered and autonomous-capable and is planned to accommodate four to five passengers on initial urban and urban-adjacent routes.
‘We’re developing a commercially viable Advanced Air Mobility product from the start, designing and manufacturing our vehicle to the highest safety, noise, efficiency, and affordability standards,’ said Ben Diachun, CTO of Supernal. ‘Our growing team, which includes veterans of aerospace, automotive, and other deep-tech industries, is engineering sustainable vehicles that have the potential to evolve how we live, work, and play.’
Supernal is leveraging advanced technologies, systems, and airframe materials — including artificial intelligence, autonomous control, and electric powertrain — to develop its vehicles and will harness the Hyundai’s mass production capabilities to scale production, affordably. Supernal is also establishing a bench of academic partners to expand the AAM industry’s research frontier and talent pipeline.