Chung Eui-sun, executive vice chairman of Hyundai Motor Co., unveiled his vision for future mobility on Jan. 6, a day before the CES, the world's largest consumer electronics and information technology exhibition.
He is planning to change the paradigm of mobility by starting full-scale development of “car that flies in the sky.”
"I deeply thought about what is important in the lives of the city and mankind," Chung said. "We will continue to make progress for humanity by closely connecting three solutions to future cities."
Hyundai Motor’s proposed future mobility consists largely of urban air mobility (UAM), purpose-based mobility (PBA), and Hub.
UAM refers to a personal air vehicle (PAV) that uses the sky as a way of travel, not a road. It is seen as a future innovation project that will transform the mobility paradigm while drastically overcoming the worsening traffic jam.
PBV refers to mobility that provides customized services while traveling beyond simple means of mobility. It can be used as a leisure space such as restaurants, cafes and hotels, and as a medical space such as hospitals and pharmacies. Hub is the pivot that connects UAM and PBV.
It will be commercialized in 2028. Uber and Boeing, which had been pushing for UAM before Hyundai Motor, are pushing for commercialization in 2023. The decision is based on the judgment that sufficient time is needed as the system, including safety, must be in place.
“We will push for urban air mobility together at the same time at home and abroad,” Chung said, adding that “In Korea, we should talk to the government because laws and regulations should go together.”
Hyundai Motor unveiled its life-size PAV concept "S-A1" at the exhibition hall of the Mandalay Bay Convention Center on Jan. 7 (local time) when the exhibition begins in earnest. It was installed 2.2 meters above the ground to create a flying situation, and it also produces a scene where the propeller is regularly driven.
S-A1 is designed so that it can take off and land vertically using electricity as a power source, and that it can carry five people including pilots. Although S-A1 is directly controlled by a pilot in the early stages of commercialization, it will be developed to enable autonomous flight after technology is stabilized.
Besides PAV, Hyundai Motor also introduced its PBV concept "S-Link" and hub concept "S-Hub." S-A1 also offers hands-on experience of the PBV concept "S-Link," which is designed for residential and medical purposes.