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<\/a> about adding it to Uber\u2019s forthcoming air taxi network<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Today, Uber\u2019s air taxi network has been sold to another startup<\/a>, the air taxi industry as a whole is still struggling to get a commercial service up and running, and Hyundai is unveiling a new \u201cproduct concept\u201d that it says will be ready for production by 2028. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Supernal, the automaker\u2019s eVTOL division, says its S-A2 concept can cruise at 120mph and reach an altitude of 1,500 feet. 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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Supernal says its S-A2 concept can cruise at 120mph and reach an altitude of 1,500 feet<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The company says its aircraft will \u201coperate as quietly as a dishwasher,\u201d emitting 65 decibels in vertical takeoff and landing phases and 45dB 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. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n With eight tilt rotors and an egg-shaped cabin, Supernal\u2019s concept looks similar to other air taxi prototypes we\u2019ve seen, including those from Joby Aviation, Wisk Aero, and Archer Aviation. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Supernal is one of a handful of companies that wants to replace noisy, polluting helicopters and regional aircraft with all-electric, multi-rotor vehicles designed for short hops between nearby airports or quick trips from an urban downtown to a local airport.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Initially, these aircraft were\u00a0mislabeled as \u201cflying cars\u201d<\/a>\u00a0based on their ability to take off and land vertically like a helicopter and then shift to forward flight through the use of electric-powered tilt rotors. Early on,\u00a0companies embraced the \u201cflying car\u201d label<\/a>, seeking to capitalize on the retro-futuristic appeal that harkens back to old\u00a0Popular Science<\/em><\/a>\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0Popular Mechanics<\/em><\/a>\u00a0covers and engineering eccentricities like\u00a0the \u201cMoller Skycar.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n But as they slowly plod through endless testing procedures mandated by a lengthy regulatory process, they have since rallied around new nomenclature, like eVTOL, urban air mobility, advanced air mobility, and air taxis.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n There\u2019s been plenty of turbulence in this emerging industry. A number of startups have gone out of business, most notably,\u00a0Google founder Larry Page\u2019s Kitty Hawk<\/a>, which helped kick off the boom in 2017. There have been\u00a0lawsuits<\/a>,\u00a0layoffs<\/a>,\u00a0mergers<\/a>, and no shortage of drama, including\u00a0a handful of fires<\/a>\u00a0and at least\u00a0one (uncrewed) crash<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Supernal\u2019s 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\u2019s mass production capabilities to help it get started. But the company won\u2019t have any special advantages when it comes to regulatory approval, which promises to be long and difficult. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Under FAA rules, aviation companies need to receive three types of certification before launching a commercial service in the US: type certification means the aircraft meets all of the FAA\u2019s design and safety standards; production certification is the approval to begin manufacturing the aircraft; and air carrier certification means the company can officially conduct commercial air taxi services.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Supernal says it\u2019s putting a lot of focus on batteries, particularly, the ability to upgrade to lighter cells when the technology improves. One of the main challenges with electric flight is the power-to-weight ratio. Heavy batteries create more weight, requiring more power to compensate, and even bigger batteries. That\u2019s why Supernal and others are focused on short flights and regional hops. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Supernal says it\u2019s putting a lot of focus on batteries<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n But Supernal isn\u2019t so daunted by the technological challenges that it can\u2019t picture a cozy interior with fine leather upholstery. The design is clean and minimal, with lighting meant to give the impression of being in a larger space. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Hyundai isn\u2019t the only global company to see visions of small electric aircraft buzzing over cities. Stellantis, which owns Jeep, Chrysler, and Dodge, is committed to mass-producing air taxis for Archer Aviation<\/a>. United<\/a> and Delta<\/a> airlines are also invested in the technology, as are Boeing and NASA<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n