[CES2020] Vice President Shin Jaewon: "UAM Demand Will Explode in 15 Years... Hyundai Motor Also Has a Chance"

Interview with Shin Jaewon, Vice President of UAM Division and Former NASA Member
"Commercialization Industry Standard in 2023 Will Remain at Testing Level"
Hyundai Motor Also Has a Chance with Mass Production Capability and Parts Suppliers Secured

Shin Jaewon, Vice President of Hyundai Motor Group UAM Division (Photo by Hyundai Motor Group)

[Las Vegas (USA) = Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] “The UAM (Urban Air Mobility) market in 2035 will see a rapid increase in demand due to advancements in automation, battery technology, and deregulation.”

Shin Jae-won, Vice President of Hyundai Motor Group’s UAM Business Division, held a press conference on the 6th (local time) in Las Vegas, USA, where ‘CES2020’ was held, stating, “Although 2023, the year Uber has designated for the pilot commercialization of UAM, is considered the industry standard, it will only be a test level where about 4 to 6 passengers can use it at limited locations.”

According to Vice President Shin, the full-scale commercialization of UAM, including the establishment of legal systems, is expected around 2029. Morgan Stanley has also predicted that the related market will grow to about $1.5 trillion by 2040. Accordingly, Hyundai Motor Group has recently designated UAM as one of the new businesses to focus on the most. In fact, at CES2020, they officially expressed this intention by unveiling the PAV concept ‘S-A1’ developed together with Uber.

In fact, UAM is a newly emerging and unfamiliar concept in Korea. Because of this, the ‘PAV (Personal Air Vehicle),’ which refers to the aircraft itself within the entire UAM system, is often compared to helicopters. Regarding this, Vice President Shin said, “Helicopters have the advantage of vertical takeoff and landing, so they do not require runways, but their noise is loud, making it difficult to operate in most large cities,” adding, “UAM can reduce noise by using multiple small rotors through electrification and lowering speed.” He explained that by accepting the advantages of helicopters and compensating for their disadvantages, UAM will be able to operate in urban areas.

Vice President Shin joined Hyundai Motor Group last September with a special mission to set a roadmap for early entry into the UAM market. Since the news of his recruitment was announced, he has attracted industry attention due to his background as a former NASA employee. Shin joined NASA’s Glenn Research Center in 1989, where he was responsible for research and development of aviation safety and navigation systems. He was recognized as an expert in the aviation research field, having served as head of the Aviation Safety Technology Development Office at the Glenn Research Center and as head of the Aviation Research Headquarters. In 2008, he became the first Asian to be appointed as the head of NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, becoming the overall leader. This is the first time Vice President Shin has personally held a press conference since moving to Hyundai Motor Group.

Regarding his choice of Hyundai Motor Group, Vice President Shin said, “Chairman Chung Eui-sun’s determination to innovate Hyundai Motor Group felt fresh and was the right vision.” He added, “Having managed research and development for a long time, I have experience working with research centers worldwide as well as various companies such as Boeing and Lockheed Martin,” and “Based on this experience, I wanted to contribute even a little to Hyundai Motor Group, which is promoting the UAM business.”

From the perspective of an aviation expert, what are Hyundai Motor Group’s strengths in the UAM field? Vice President Shin cited Hyundai Motor Group’s mass production capability as a competitive advantage. He emphasized, “If UAM is commercialized, it could become a market where hundreds of flights operate daily (in large cities like Seoul), so production must increase significantly,” adding, “Since aviation companies find it difficult to apply mass production systems, Hyundai Motor Group has a winning chance.”

He also noted the diminishing technological boundaries between the automotive and aviation industries. He said, “Electrification and ‘situational awareness’ technology using big data are technologies shared by aircraft and automobiles,” and “Moreover, UAM requires autonomous driving and electrification.”

Currently, Hyundai Motor Group’s UAM Business Division has only about 30 members. However, Vice President Shin explained that the group’s overall capabilities are sufficient for competitiveness. He said, “Hyundai Motor Group can achieve high-quality mass production, ensure safety, and reduce costs,” and “For electrification, overall system control including the entire powertrain and battery is necessary, and having parts companies like Hyundai Mobis is also a positive factor.”

He also shared his thoughts on government regulations. Vice President Shin said, “Sufficient space is needed for safety testing to develop aircraft,” but added, “Rather than unconditionally easing existing regulations, it is necessary to comprehensively consider which regulations to revise, supplement, and implement.” He pointed out that since the UAM market has large demand, the market will inevitably open, so regulations must respond well to this.