Hyundai to set up UAM research center in LA next year

South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Group is accelerating the urban air mobility (UAM) business with a plan to set up a research center for the sector in Los Angeles, California, next year as it aims to dominate the future mobility market.

Hyundai Motor said on Nov. 9 that it has named its UAM unit in the US as Supernal LLC, which will take its future mobility vision forward.

"In adding a new dimension to mobility, we are on a mission to transform how people and society move, connect and live," said Supernal CEO Shin Jai-won. “We are working to build the right product and the right integrated market, and we will leverage Hyundai Motor Group's scaled manufacturing expertise to ensure AAM (advanced air mobility) reaches the right price point and is accessible to the masses."

The group, which established a UAM unit in the US last year, has been developing an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle for about a year.

Supernal, headquartered in Washington DC, plans not only to develop air vehicles but also to provide a transportation system that combines UAM and the existing traffic networks. It also considers operating a ride-sharing platform to allow UAM users to move to destinations without any inconvenience.

The company is set to launch its first commercial flight in 2028 and scale operations, leveraging the group's manufacturing expertise. In the 2030s, it aims to unveil a regional air mobility (RAM) fuselage to connect neighboring cities.

Supernal has been conducting research on air mobility with the City of Los Angeles and Urban Movement Labs.

The company is also cooperating with other countries. It is participating in a project to build an airport only for UAM vehicles in Coventry, West Midlands, UK.

Write to Byung-Uk Do at dodo@hankyung.com
Jongwoo Cheon edited this article.