With its “eyes” set on the future of urban mobility, the Hyundai Motor Group has teamed up with Urban Air Port (its infrastructure partner) and the joint effort of the two companies is starting to bear fruit.
The first result of this joint effort is Urban Air Port Air-One, which has just won the “Future Flight Challenge”, a government program in the United Kingdom.
By winning this program, Air-One project will unite the Hyundai Motor Group, Urban Air Port, Coventry City Council and the British government with one objective: to show the potential of urban air mobility.
How are you going to do it?
As Ricky Sandhu, Founder and CEO of Urban Air Port reminds us: “Cars need roads. Rail trains. Airport planes. eVTOLS will need Urban Air Ports”.Subscribe to our newsletter
Now, it is precisely this need that Air-One aims to respond to, establishing itself as the world's first fully operational platform for electric vertical take-off and landing (or eVTOL) aircraft such as freight drones and air taxis.
Occupying 60% less space than a traditional helipad, it is possible to install an Urban Air Port in a few days, all without any carbon emissions. Able to support any eVTOL and designed to complement other sustainable modes of transport, these “mini-airports” feature a modular construction that allows them to be easily dismantled and transported to other locations.
Where does the Hyundai Motor Group fit in?
Hyundai Motor Group's involvement in this entire project is in line with the South Korean company's plans to create its own eVTOL aircraft .
According to the plans of the Hyundai Motor Group, the goal is to commercialize its eVTOL by 2028, which is one of the reasons behind its support for the development of the Air-One.
In this regard, Pamela Cohn, Chief Operating Officer, Urban Air Mobility Division, Hyundai Motor Group, said: "As we move forward with our eVTOL aircraft program, the development of supporting infrastructure is imperative."
What's next?
After securing financing for Air-One, Urban Air Port's next objective is to attract more investors to accelerate the commercialization and dissemination of this “mini-airport”.
The Hyundai Motor Group partner company's goal is to develop more than 200 sites identical to Air-One over the next five years.