2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

<p>Supernal, the advanced air mobility subsidiary of Korean carmaker Hyundai, has opened its new engineering headquarters in Irvine, California, the company announced Tuesday. This facility is where Supernal will conduct the bulk of the development work for its four-passenger SA-1 eVTOL air taxi, which the company plans to have certified and in service by 2028.&nbsp;</p>
<p>More than 200 people now work at Supernal’s Irvine locations, which include the new 105,000-square-foot office building and a separate 80,000-square-foot satellite test and evaluation site. With the opening of the new engineering office, Supernal says it now has the capacity to expand its Irvine-based workforce to 500 employees, and it aims to hire at least 100 people by the end of the year.&nbsp;</p>
<p>“The key to realizing the potential of advanced air mobility hinges on leveraging exceptional tech talent, making Irvine the prime location for our engineering headquarters,” said Jaiwon Shin, CEO of Supernal and president of Hyundai Motor Group. “This strategic location enables us to expand our rapidly growing team of industry experts in aerospace, automotive, and deep-tech. Together, we are poised to redefine transportation and shape the future of Advanced Air Mobility.”</p>
<p>The new engineering headquarters is the first of three new facilities that Supernal intends to open this year. It also plans to open&nbsp;a policy and commercial hub in Washington, D.C., and a primary research and development facility in Fremont, California, which is part of Silicon Valley.</p>
<p>In June, Supernal named a cohort of multiple <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-06-23/supernal-adds-suppliers-and-manufacturing-partners-sa-1-evtol-air-taxi">suppliers and manufacturing partners</a> who will support its efforts to bring the SA-1 to market in 2028. These companies include the following: GKN Aerospace (electrical wiring and interconnection system); Qarbon Aerospace (thermoplastic carbon-composite components); and Umbra Group (motor control electronics and actuators). Other key program partners include <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-10-16/supernal-selects-evtol-aircraft-flight-deck-and-flight-control-partners">Honeywell</a>, which is supplying its Anthem avionics suite, BAE Systems for flight controls, and <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-07-20/supernal-partners-electric-power-systems-improve-evtol-batteries">EP Systems f</a>or batteries.</p>
<p>Supernal is also working on a hydrogen-powered <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-03-30/hyundai-adds-estol-regional-aircraft-its-supernal-evtol-plans">eSTOL version </a>of the vehicle, which would have much longer range of up to around 1,000 kilometers (621 miles). The <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2021-11-10/hyundai-relaunches-urban-air-mobility-division-supernal">SA-1 eVTOL </a>aircraft is expected to have a maximum range of around 60 miles.</p>
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Science & Technology Editor

Hanneke Weitering

Supernal Opens New Engineering Headquarters In California For eVTOL Aircraft Development

<p>Supernal has added three key partners to support its efforts to develop&nbsp;and produce its SA-1 eVTOL aircraft. In addition to aerostructures and electronic components, new partnerships sealed by Hyundai's urban air mobility division during the recent Paris Air Show will focus on enabling high-rate manufacturing processes to help scale the production of the&nbsp;piloted, four-passenger aircraft, which is scheduled to enter service in 2028.&nbsp;</p>
<p>GKN Aerospace has agreed to provide the electrical wiring interconnection system (EWIS) and lightweight aerostructures for Supernal’s aircraft. Meanwhile, Qarbon Aerospace will use advanced welding techniques to assemble the aircraft’s thermoplastic carbon-composite components, and Umbra Group is supplying motor control electronics and actuators.&nbsp;</p>
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            <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item">  <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/futureflight/import/SA-1-Side-Profile.jpg" width="2100" height="1050" alt="Supernal SA-1 eVTOL side profile" title="While Supernal has not yet revealed the design of its four-passenger eVTOL air taxi, plans call for the aircraft to use a distributed electric propulsion system with multiple rotors and propellers. (Image: Supernal)">

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            <div class="field field--name-field-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">While Supernal has not yet revealed the design of its four-passenger eVTOL air taxi, plans call for the aircraft to use a distributed electric propulsion system with multiple rotors and propellers. (Image: Supernal)</div>
      
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<figcaption>While Supernal has not yet revealed the design of its four-passenger eVTOL air taxi, plans call for the aircraft to use a distributed electric propulsion system with multiple rotors and propellers. (Image: Supernal)</figcaption>
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<h3 class="subheading"><strong>Umbra Group Adds Innovative Actuators</strong></h3>
<p>Umbra Group, an Italian aerospace manufacturer, will supply the motor control electronics and actuators for the SA-1’s flight control system. Actuators, which control the various moving parts of an aircraft, typically have a gearbox connected to the power source. To make these components lighter and more efficient, Umbra has developed a new type of actuator that does not have a gearbox. Umbra’s actuator technology is based on ball screws, which the company has been manufacturing for various aerospace applications for decades, and they’re built to safely last for more than 20 years in commercial aircraft.</p>
<p>One unique feature of Umbra’s electro-mechanical actuators is that they are jam-tolerant, and they have a built-in mechanism that can resolve a failure within an actuator. According to Supernal, this is a new solution that has not yet been implemented in any other type of eVTOL aircraft.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>“Umbra Group’s actuation solutions will help us optimize our eVTOL vehicle design for maximum reliability in daily operations and enable advanced air mobility to reach the same levels of safety as the commercial aviation industry,” said Supernal chief commercial officer Adam Slepian.</p>
<h3 class="subheading"><strong>GKN Provides Lightweight Composites and Electronics</strong></h3>
<p>Based in the UK, <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2021-02-17/aerospace-veteran-gkn-seeks-stretch-itself-future-advanced-air-mobility">GKN</a> is a major global aerostructures group with decades of experience in designing and manufacturing a range of aircraft systems, and the company has recently begun dipping its toes in the nascent advanced air mobility (AAM) industry. In addition to the EWIS for Supernal’s air taxi, GKN is also supplying the EWIS <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-01-31/gkn-aerospace-develop-wiring-system-lilium-jet">for the Lilium Jet</a> eVTOL aircraft, <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2021-09-17/gkn-will-make-wings-and-wiring-verticals-evtol-aircraft">Vertical Aerospace’s VX4</a> eVTOL aircraft, and <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2020-05-18/gkn-signs-key-supplier-eviations-alice-electric-aircraft">Eviation’s Alice</a> all-electric commuter airplane. It is also building the wings for the VX4 and Alice aircraft.&nbsp;</p>
<p>As part of its agreement with Supernal, GKN will “apply its broad portfolio of design capabilities and manufacturing technologies to the development of the company’s eVTOL vehicle,” Supernal officials said in a company statement. That includes both the high-voltage, high-power electrical wiring systems and some as-yet-specified lightweight composite structures. Design and manufacturing activities for these components are already underway at GKN Aerospace’s Global Technology Centre in Bristol and across sites in Europe, according to Supernal.&nbsp;</p>
<h3 class="subheading"><strong>Supernal Taps Qarbon’s Thermoplastic Welding Expertise&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></h3>
<p>Composite material specialist Qarbon Aerospace, which is headquartered in Red Oak, Texas, will work with Supernal to mature welding technologies for the future large-scale production of Supernal’s SA-1 eVTOL aircraft. According to Supernal, Qarbon will apply its induction welding expertise to the assembly of the thermoplastic, carbon-composite components of the vehicle, while Supernal will help Qarbon scale its established welding processes to enable large-scale manufacturing.&nbsp;</p>
<p>With the help of Qarbon and GKN, Supernal aims to scale manufacturing technology for the production of its eVTOL aircraft using new high-rate, lower-cost manufacturing processes. “Instead of focusing on ‘time to market,’ Supernal is prioritizing ‘time to scale,’” Shin said, adding that Hyundai’s automotive manufacturing expertise will help to further bolster manufacturing rates and reduce the cost and time of aircraft production.&nbsp;</p>
<p>“By incorporating advanced materials and processes in our manufacturing strategy from the start, Supernal will be prepared to expand eVTOL vehicle production capacity to meet demand surges when the industry takes off,” said Jaiwon Shin, Supernal CEO and president of Hyundai Motor Group.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Pete Wick, CEO of Qarbon Aerospace, added that “Supernal’s deliberate approach of carefully selecting and integrating rate-enabling technology from the start differentiates their eVTOL vehicle in the AAM field.”</p>
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<h3 class="subheading"><strong>Supernal Progresses Toward First Flight</strong></h3>
<p>Supernal chief commercial officer Adam Slepian told <strong>FutureFlight</strong> that the company intends to begin flying its first full-scale technology demonstrator aircraft toward the end of 2024, and the production aircraft will be ready to enter service in 2028. The company is planning to apply for FAA type certification by the end of this year. Having already flown one sub-scale technology demonstrator, Supernal expects to produce several additional iterations of technology demonstrators and prototypes before settling on a “locked form” that will be used for certification testing, he said.&nbsp;</p>
<p>While Supernal has yet to reveal a full-scale mockup of its eVTOL air taxi, the company has <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/video/hyundais-supernal-previews-its-evtol-air-taxi-experience">showcased a cabin concept</a> recently at events such as the Farnborough air show and NBAA-BACE. In May, Supernal’s cabin mockup was recognized in the International Forum Design Award competition, with judges lauding its combination of safety, human-centered design, and sustainably-sourced materials. Now the company is focused on developing the rest of the airframe, the design of which it expects to reveal in early 2024, Supernal spokeswoman Jennifer Darland told <strong>FutureFlight</strong>.</p>
<p>“Last year we were really demonstrating the passenger experience—a much more consumer-oriented look at the vehicle—but this year our team is really focused on the guts of the vehicle with a lot of systems integration work, and that’s why we've announced <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-10-17/supernal-names-avionics-and-controls-partners-evtol-aircraft">partnerships with Honeywell and BAE systems</a>, and then these other manufacturers here at Paris,” Darland said. “The weight of [those systems] will impact the consumer and passenger experience, so both pieces continue to evolve until we hit that sweet spot of the right weight, right cost, and the battery power behind both of those elements.”</p>
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            <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item">  <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/futureflight/import/supernal_cabin.jpeg" width="1966" height="864" alt="Supernal's eVTOL aircraft cabin concept" title="Supernal revealed a cabin concept for its SA-1 eVTOL aircraft at the 2022 Farnborough International Airshow. (Credit: Supernal)">

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            <div class="field field--name-field-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Supernal revealed a cabin concept for its SA-1 eVTOL aircraft at the 2022 Farnborough International Airshow. (Credit: Supernal)</div>
      
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<figcaption>Supernal revealed a cabin concept for its SA-1 eVTOL aircraft at the 2022 Farnborough International Airshow. (Credit: Supernal)</figcaption>
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<p>While several other eVTOL air taxi developers aim to have their aircraft certified and in service by 2025, Supernal doesn’t plan to have its aircraft in operation until 2028. Slepian explained that part of the reason for Supernal’s later entry into service is that battery technology has not quite evolved enough to meet the aircraft’s power needs. The company has partnered with Utah-based EP Systems to develop a lightweight energy storage system. According to Slepian, Supernal has not committed to using lithium-ion batteries, which most electric vehicles use, but the company is keeping all options on the table as battery technologies advance in the coming years.&nbsp;</p>
<p>“We don't want to go to market today or with today’s aerospace technologies and manufacturing processes, so the current phase we're in with GKN and Qarbon is advancing the joining and the techniques of more advanced aerospace materials that don't necessarily have the business case today,” Darland said. “So we're taking the time as part of our longer timeline to get those to a better place, and then down the road, we will couple these much more advanced materials with the automation from Hyundai Motor Group’s manufacturing facilities to really be able to automate our process and produce these expensive components at a much more affordable price—and be able to scale much more quickly when the market does take off in two to three decades.”</p>
<p>Targeting 2028 for entry into service also buys Supernal more time to secure the ground infrastructure that will be needed to support its eVTOL air taxi operations. Not only will eVTOL aircraft need dedicated space to take off and land, but they will also require charging equipment and a significant amount of energy supplied to those charging stations. Supernal and EP Systems are also looking at energy storage solutions outside of the aircraft, including vertiport integration and second-life applications for batteries that exceed their lifecycle in an aircraft.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Although the specifications could change during the aircraft’s development, Supernal says it is targeting a range of about 60 miles (100 kilometers) on a single charge, and it will take no more than five to seven minutes to fully recharge the battery between flights. Initially, the aircraft will be piloted with four passenger seats, but Supernal is also exploring the possibility of introducing a fully autonomous, six-passenger version of the aircraft that would operate without a pilot on board.&nbsp;</p>


Managing Editor

Charles Alcock

Supernal Adds Suppliers and Manufacturing Partners for SA-1 eVTOL Air Taxi

<p><span><span><span>Supernal is preparing to integrate real-time weather data into its efforts to bring an eVTOL aircraft into commercial service in 2028. The Hyundai Motor Group subsidiary announced that it is making a minority investment in TruWeather Solutions so that it can leverage its V360<span><span>°</span></span></span> software-as-a-service weather data analytics and forecasting technology to support planned advanced air mobility flights<a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-03-01/supernal-becomes-latest-evtol-developer-plan-services-miami"> in cities such as Miami</a>.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>The manufacturer will use the V360<span><span>°</span></span></span> system with its in-development, four-passenger vehicle to collect and integrate real-time distributed sensor weather data. According to <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-10-16/supernal-selects-evtol-aircraft-flight-deck-and-flight-control-partners">Supernal</a>, this will give its operational teams a comprehensive view of low-altitude weather and allow them to more accurately assess and predict conditions at critical locations and along flight paths. The company plans to operate eVTOL air taxi services itself in the early stages of service entry for the <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/aircraft-program/supernal-s-a1">SA-1 vehicle</a>.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>According to TruWeather Solutions, its technology <span><span>will give eVTOL aircraft operators a 360-degree view of wind and weather updates every 15 minutes at a resolution of “within tens of meters” at and around vertiports. It said that along flight corridors, the model can present a clear view of wind flow, which will be an important factor in safely operating around urban environments where buildings can disrupt wind flow. The company claims its technology can achieve a resolution of one kilometer or better along flight paths, stating that this compares with a best-available resolution of 2.5 kilometers in current commercial aviation applications. </span></span></span></span></span></p>
<h3 class="subheading"><span><span><span><span><span><strong>Micro-Weather Could Be Critical to Safe Advanced Air Mobility</strong></span></span></span></span></span></h3>
<p><span><span><span><span><span>Over the past five years, TruWeather has developed its capability to support the advanced air mobility sector by conducting research and development at uncrewed aircraft systems test ranges in four locations across the U.S. The FAA has sanctioned this work as part of wider efforts to achieve micro-weather precision forecasting and real-time data.</span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><span>TruWeather is also working with other partners to support advanced air mobility development, including <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-02-15/how-traffic-management-collaboration-and-data-sharing-could-unlock">air traffic management service provider Skyway</a>&nbsp;and <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2021-02-17/varon-adds-weather-prediction-its-air-mobility-infrastructure-plan">Varon Vehicles</a>. In January, it announced a partnership with AeroX, which is a not-for-profit group working to facilitate new air services, including drones, in North Carolina.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></p>


Supernal Taps Weather Data and Forecasting Technology To Prepare for eVTOL Aircraft Operations

<p>Supernal&nbsp;will use Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing platform to conduct flight simulations with highly autonomous eVTOL aircraft. The company, which is&nbsp;the&nbsp;advanced air mobility division of South Korean car maker Hyundai,&nbsp;says it is also looking to incorporate Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 augmented-reality headset into its manufacturing and maintenance processes.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The U.S. -based company is developing a five-seat eVTOL aircraft known as the <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/aircraft-program/supernal-s-a1">SA-1</a>, which will initially operate with a pilot on board using a lightweight fly-by-wire system. However, Supernal aims to eventually switch to fully autonomous flight operations.&nbsp;</p>
<p>As part of its newly-announced collaboration with Supernal, Microsoft will give the company early access to <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/ai/autonomous-systems-project-airsim?activetab=pivot1%3aprimaryr3">Project AirSim</a>, a new simulation platform for aircraft developers that uses artificial intelligence to simulate the flights of autonomous aerial vehicles, evaluating and improving the vehicle’s decision-making processes and capabilities.</p>
<p>“Microsoft Azure provides the platform and cloud storage to run Microsoft Project AirSim, which will render a simulated flight environment used to test, train, and optimize Supernal’s autonomy stack,” Adam Slepian, Supernal’s deputy chief commercial officer, told <strong>FutureFlight</strong>. “The simulated sensor returns generated through AirSim could assist in tasks like optimizing sensor placement and testing unique scenarios within autonomy algorithms.”&nbsp;</p>
<p>The simulation tool allows autonomous aircraft developers to put their algorithms to the test, observing how their aircraft will behave in different environments and scenarios, such as when it encounters an obstacle in the air or on the ground. Collecting this data from flight simulations is more efficient and less risky than attempting to conduct real-life test flights with the same variety of circumstances and environmental conditions.&nbsp;</p>
<p>“Supernal intends to simulate the flight paths across an urban air mobility network to train the autonomy stack in the virtual ecosystem, including other actors in the airspace,” Slepian added. “These efforts can also help integrate eVTOL vehicles into new and existing multimodal solutions on the ground, such as vertiports.”</p>
<h3 class="subheading"><strong>HoloLens 2: A Manufacturing and Maintenance Aide</strong></h3>
<p>While Supernal is working on adding artificial intelligence into its flight control systems, the company is also planning to use new augmented reality tech in its manufacturing and maintenance processes. Supernal says its engineers and technicians could soon be using Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 mixed-reality headset as a visual aide. The <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/hololens">HoloLens 2</a> headset allows wearers to see and interact with holographic objects that are displayed through what may look like a pair of high-tech welding goggles. The headset costs $3,500 a piece.&nbsp;</p>
<p>“HoloLens 2, and more broadly augmented reality, enable applications that could increase efficiencies in the development and manufacturing of autonomous flight technology,” said Slepian. “For Supernal, HoloLens 2 creates the opportunity to collaborate and innovate with team members and suppliers by bringing them virtually ‘on site,’ supplemented by tangible visual representations of the engineering, IT, or manufacturing components in question.”</p>
<p>Slepian added that Supernal’s engineering teams are exploring use cases with HoloLens 2, such as “assisted preflight checks, manufacturing inspections and process flows, training and customer service.”</p>


Supernal Turns to Microsoft For IT Tools to Develop and Build eVTOL Aircraft

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At the recent NBAA-BACE trade show, FutureFlight got a front row seat for a simulated flight of Supernal’s planned SA-1 eVTOL aircraft.

Hyundai's Supernal Previews its eVTOL Air Taxi Experience

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Aerospace group BAE is designing a lightweight, fly-by-wire system for the five-seat eVTOL vehicle being developed by Hyundai Motor subsidiary Supernal.

BAE Develops Flight Controls for Supernal eVTOL

Honeywell's cloud-based integrated flight deck allows pilots to access data and software online and should also support a transition to autonomous flight.

Supernal eVTOL To Feature Honeywell Anthem Flight Deck

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Hyundai’s Supernal Division Unveils Its S-A1 eVTOL Aircraft

<p>Supernal is teaming with Electric Power Systems to boost battery technologies&nbsp;for eVTOL air taxis.&nbsp;The companies plan to work together to accelerate the development of lightweight eVTOL batteries and to enable longer, more affordable air taxi flights while continuing to improve vehicle performance as the urban air mobility market matures.</p>
<p>“Advanced air mobility requires an expansive value chain, and many aspects—from battery power to digital infrastructure and passenger experience—require improvements and cross-chain integration to enable progress,” said Jaiwon Shin, president of Hyundai Motor Group and CEO of Supernal. “We are humbled and excited to work with Electric Power Systems and develop game-changing technologies that will revolutionize air travel and increase human possibility.”</p>
<p>Supernal and EP Systems formalized their new partnership on July 20&nbsp;during a ceremony at the Farnborough International Airshow, where Supernal had a cabin concept for its <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/aircraft-program/supernal-s-a1">SA-1</a> eVTOL on display.</p>
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<p>Utah-based EP Systems develops energy storage systems for electric aviation, and the company provides electric propulsion products and charging stations for the automotive, marine, and defense industries as well. The company’s high-power batteries are being used in several flight demonstrators, including NASA’s X-57 and Boeing’s Cargo Air Vehicle (CAV).&nbsp;</p>
<p>Established in 2020 as a subsidiary of the South Korean automotive group Hyundai, Supernal has been developing a five-seat eVTOL air taxi called SA-1, which it plans to bring into commercial service by 2028. The company has said it expects to start the FAA’s type certification process in 2024. And earlier this year, Supernal announced plans to introduce <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-03-30/hyundai-adds-estol-regional-aircraft-its-supernal-evtol-plans">a hydrogen-powered eSTOL</a> aircraft in addition to the SA-1.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Supernal’s SA-1 will initially be flown by a pilot and will seat four passengers, although the company plans to eventually switch over to autonomous flights with a six-passenger version of the vehicle. The company has chosen <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-03-01/supernal-becomes-latest-evtol-developer-plan-services-miami">Miami</a> to be one of the first cities to adopt its air taxi services.</p>
<p>The battery-powered SA-1 eVTOL aircraft will be designed to cruise at up to 180 mph (290 km/h) and an altitude of 1,000 to 2,000 feet (300 to 600 meters), with a range of about 60 miles (100 km) on a single charge. It will take about five to seven minutes to recharge between flights, Supernal has said. While the company has not revealed many details about the SA-1’s design, plans call for a distributed electric propulsion system with multiple rotors and propellers, which the company claims will reduce noise and increase safety.</p>


Supernal Partners with Electric Power Systems To Improve eVTOL Batteries

<p><span><span>Korean automotive group&nbsp;Hyundai has expanded its ambitions in the field of advanced air mobility (AAM) with the addition of plans for a hydrogen-powered eSTOL aircraft to its previously announced plans for U.S. subsidiary Supernal to develop a battery-powered eVTOL vehicle. Hyundai’s new Korean Advanced Air Mobility unit will take responsibility for the development of the eSTOL aircraft, which would fly to a range of 1,000 km (621 miles) and whose application would at first center on a regional air mobility network centered on the capital Seoul by about 2030. </span></span></p>
<p><span><span>As part of a wider AAM strategy, Supernal has targeted 2028 as its entry-into-service date for its <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/aircraft-program/supernal-s-a1">SA-1 eVTOL </a>aircraft. The company says the four-seat will typically fly on routes of around 75 km. It is targetting cities such as Los Angeles and <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-03-01/supernal-becomes-latest-evtol-developer-plan-services-miami">Miami</a> as early-adopter locations for air taxi services.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>Addressing this week's Vertical Flight Society’s Hydrogen Aero Symposium in Long Beach, California, Supernal senior manager Yesh Premkumar emphasized Hyundai’s strength in automotive manufacturing while conceding the company’s need to understand how to apply it to aviation. </span></span><span><span>“Where we can, we will gladly help and support others in terms of understanding how this can be done as well as learn the processes of certification, which is a small thing in aviation that we don’t quite understand yet,” he said, while providing no further details about the new eSTOL design.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>In short, Premkumar stressed that <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2021-11-10/hyundai-relaunches-urban-air-mobility-division-supernal">Hyundai </a>aims to take a holistic approach to building a so-called <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-03-01/new-us-legislation-provides-firmer-foundation-advanced-air-mobility">AAM ecosystem</a>. “We looked at multiple ways of solving the problem,” he explained, namely a short-range and a long-range aircraft. For the short-range model, batteries emerged as the best solution because of their existing use in the automotive field. For the long-range aircraft, Hyundai chose hydrogen fuel cells in the context of its existing experience with the technology. The company makes about 10,000 fuel cells a year for automotive applications, said Premkumar. </span></span></p>
<p><span><span>“We've talked about all the different needs for improvement that exist in the fuel cell system, but the fuel cell solutions are at TRL level nine in the commercial market when it comes to </span></span><span><span>ground transportation,” he noted. “So it is not a technology problem. It's an application maturity problem.”</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>Premkumar added that infrastructure remains one of the most important considerations in the development of an AAM ecosystem, along with workforce development, training, public policy, and supply chain concerns, calling the latter potentially “quite problematic” in terms of large-scale application. Partnerships stand as an imperative to meet those challenges, he explained.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>“Our approach is very simple—[to form] strategic partnerships literally across everything possible—aircraft subsystems, aircraft, airframe, design, design, integration certification, wherever we can find someone who's good and can help us, or whom we can help,” Permkumar concluded. </span></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>


Supernal

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