Hyundai Motor debuted its new air taxi concept S-A2 at CES 2024 in Las Vegas. The electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle is a follow-up to the S-A1 model it launched at the same event in 2020. Hyundai still sees the S-A2 as an everyday transportation solution in urban areas, getting passengers from point A to point B faster than traveling by car or bus and having to deal with traffic jams.
The S-A2 has a cruise speed of 120 mph when reaching an altitude of 1,500 feet and is designed to fly short trips between 25 and 40 miles. It has eight rotors and an electric propulsion architecture, and the company says it can “operate as quietly as a dishwasher” unlike noisy traditional helicopters. The vehicle has seating for a pilot and four passengers and features lighting to provide visual cues such as entry and exit locations. For safety purposes, it has many redundant components, such as the powertrain and flight control systems, which can take over if a primary component fails.
Hyundai’s air mobility company Supernal hopes to reach commercial aviation safety levels by 2028 and enter the market with eVTOL vehicles. We might see a future version of the concept at the next CES event before or after that year, if the company has to adjust its schedule. If Supernal does go public, it intends to leverage modern mass production capabilities to manufacture its eVTOLs and ensure its operations are cost-effective.
We will provide live coverage of CES 2024, which will be held in Las Vegas from January 6th to 12th.Get all the latest news from the show here.
This article was originally published on Engadget: https://www.engadget.com/hyundai-shows-off-its-updated-s-a2-air-taxi-at-ces-2024-115516581.html?src=rss
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