Carmaker Hyundai has unveiled the S-A2, a four-passenger air taxi that will begin flying in 2028, in a daring attempt to take over metropolitan skies. At the yearly CES innovation fair in Las Vegas, where Hyundai was showcasing its dedication to the construction of vertical-takeoff aircraft, the news was made.
Test flights for the eight-propeller S-A2 are scheduled for later this year. Interestingly, Hyundai says that even with many propellers, the aircraft only makes as much noise as a dishwasher.
Hyundai has previously ventured into the domain of air taxis. The South Korean business debuted an early prototype of their flying machine at CES four years ago, but until recently, there had been little updates on the project. Hyundai announced in 2020 that it intended to include the air taxi into the Uber system. However, Joby Aviation acquired the segment from Uber due to shifts brought on by the epidemic.
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According to Hyundai’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) subsidiary, the S-A2 is intended for travel between 40 and 60 kilometers and will need a human pilot with training. With this revelation, Hyundai will now be directly competing with other businesses who are working on developing electric vehicles that can take off and land (eVTOL).
At CES 2024, Chinese automaker Xpeng unveiled a flying capsule for two people, and US startup Pivotal launched sales of its small aircraft, the Helix, with backing from Larry Page, co-founder of Google.
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One characteristic that makes Pivotal’s Helix stand out is that it can be flown in the US without a pilot’s license, opening up new possibilities for personal aviation. The aircraft, which would likely cost between $190,000 and $260,000, should arrive in June.
