Hyundai Motor Group’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) company, Supernal, has revealed its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle, S-A2, at CES 2024. This aircraft, designed for a pilot and four passengers, is a significant step in Supernal’s plan to make everyday air travel safe, efficient, and affordable.
From the start, Supernal has aimed to make the perfect product for the right market at the right time. The introduction of S-A2 shows our strong dedication to fulfilling that goal with a safe and efficient vehicle design. This design makes it easier for us to enter the market successfully. We are using the skills of our skilled 600-person team and the extensive technical and business abilities of Hyundai Motor Group, along with reliable aviation suppliers worldwide. Supernal is prepared to usher in a new era of flight.
S-A2 is an evolution of Supernal’s earlier vision concept, S-A1, unveiled at CES 2020. It combines advanced aerospace engineering with Hyundai Motor Group’s distinctive automotive design to introduce a novel transportation mode for faster urban travel from point A to point B. Supernal aims to reach commercial aviation safety standards and make the manufacturing of its vehicles cost-effective, gearing up for market entry in 2028.
Supernal’s S-A2: Revolutionizing Urban Air Travel with Electric Innovation
According to Ben Diachun ( CTO, Supernal), Supernal’s concept vehicle, S-A2, is the outcome of the efforts and creativity of our exceptional team. It’s crafted to make the most of the latest developments in electric powertrains, shaping the future of aviation. Moving forward, we plan to turn this concept into an innovative commercial product.
S-A2 is an aircraft with a V-shaped tail, meant to travel at 120 miles per hour and maintain a 1,500-foot altitude for city trips of 25 to 40 miles. It uses an innovative electric propulsion system with eight tilting rotors. When in operation, the vehicle will be as quiet as a dishwasher, producing 65 decibels during take-off and landing and 45 decibels while cruising horizontally.
The vehicle prioritizes safety, sustainability, and passenger comfort. It’s built to meet global aviation safety standards, featuring a strong structure with backup components in crucial systems like powertrain, flight controls, and avionics. The unique all-tilting rotor setup efficiently propels the vehicle in both vertical lift and horizontal cruise phases of flight.
Aesthetic Design of Supernal’s S-A2
Luc Donckerwolke (President, Chief Design Officer, and Chief Creative Officer, Hyundai Motor Group):-S-A2 is a true representation of ‘auto meets aero.’ Drawing on the competence of Supernal’s top aerospace engineers and Hyundai Motor Group’s world-renowned automotive designers to create a human-centric design that maximizes passenger experience and safety.
Supernal’s engineers collaborated with Hyundai Motor Group’s automotive designers to create the aesthetics of S-A2, combining design and functionality to appeal to aviation operators and enhance the passenger experience. Various colors and materials distinguish the pilot and passenger sections. The seats incorporate aviation-grade, energy-absorbing components, contributing to a clean, minimalist design. Dynamic lighting changes during flight phases, making the cabin feel more spacious and offering visual cues for entry and exit points.
Leveraging their expertise in designing efficient “smart cars” and acclaimed electric vehicles, Hyundai Motor Group’s designers applied the latest passenger experience and automotive design principles to S-A2.
Vision Of Hyundai at CES 2024
You can see the S-A2 at CES 2024 in the Supernal Vertiport exhibition, situated in the Diamond parking lot near the West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. This display represents Supernal’s comprehensive vision for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), showcasing the S-A2 in an operational context. Visitors can explore the vehicle concept, experience a simulated flight over Los Angeles, discover potential flight networks and supporting technologies, and understand how vertiports and other transportation methods aim to streamline metropolitan travel.
Vertiports are crucial for making Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) a reality. They act as the starting, transfer, and ending points for electric vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, connecting with current transportation modes. The quiet nature of electric flight allows vertiports to be placed in cities, airports, and other locations, seamlessly integrating with existing transit choices. Enhanced by better air traffic control and advanced micro-weather forecasting, the combination of S-A2 and vertiports will enable more extensive mobility compared to current and planned ground infrastructure.
