[2022 Green Mobility Award] Hyundai Motor "Personal Air Vehicle (PAV) Prototype Targeted for 2026"

Kwangil Cho, Hyundai Motor AAM Lead Manager
"Development Aimed for Commercialization by 2028"

Kwangil Jo, Senior Manager of the AAM Business Planning Team at Hyundai Motor Company, is giving a special lecture at the 2022 Korea Green Mobility Awards and Breakfast Seminar hosted by Asia Economy on the 26th at Lotte Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] Hyundai Motor Group will unveil a prototype of its personal air vehicle (PAV) concept ‘S-A1’ in 2026. By 2028, it aims to accelerate the establishment of an urban air mobility (UAM) system for commercialization.

On the 26th, Kwangil Cho, Head Manager of Hyundai Motor’s Future Air Mobility (AAM), stated at the ‘2022 Korea Green Mobility Awards’ lecture hosted by Asia Economy at the Lotte Hotel in Sogong-dong, Seoul, “Since PAVs carry passengers, the certification period is very long, and the key issue is how much safety can be ensured,” adding, “We are developing a prototype targeting 2026.”

Hyundai Motor introduced the concept aircraft model S-A1 at CES 2020, the world’s largest electronics and IT exhibition held in Las Vegas, USA, in January 2020. The S-A1 can carry up to five people including the pilot. It has a maximum speed of 290 km/h and can travel up to 100 km. Its flight altitude ranges from 300 to 600 meters, meeting the UAM corridor standards of the European Union (EU), the United States, and South Korea.

The S-A1, scheduled for mass production in 2028, is somewhat later than competitors planning production between 2024 and 2026. However, Hyundai plans to differentiate by supporting remote and autonomous driving from the launch. Hyundai is preparing to transform not just into a manufacturer of PAVs but into a mobility company that comprehensively provides UAM services. To this end, it has established an independent UAM subsidiary called ‘Supernal’ in the United States.

Manager Cho explained, “The reason UAM technology is needed is because urban expansion causes population concentration, leading to increased congestion and pollutant emissions within cities,” adding, “Although other mobility sectors are making many efforts, the situation demands solving urban traffic congestion.”

Currently, urban air transportation such as helicopters exists but is only used by a wealthy few. He said, “Hyundai is promoting the popularization of mobility accessible to everyone,” and predicted, “By around 2035, when UAM is expected to fully launch, it will become a very large industry.”

Many companies are participating in the promising UAM market. However, Manager Cho emphasized that to utilize UAM in daily life, three issues must be resolved: ▲safety ▲noise ▲urban airports.

He stressed, “UAM does not end with simply developing the aircraft,” adding, “Building an overall ecosystem including aircraft development, control, operation systems, and construction is important, and Hyundai is investing and researching extensively in these areas.”