Hyundai Motor Company is co-operating with Incheon International Airport Corp. (IIAC), Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co. and KT Corp. to step up the development of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and partner to conduct test flights, reports a company press release. With a MoU signed last week (September 18th), the four parties will work toward commercialising UAM by 2028. This partnership supports building a robust infrastructure and business model as well as innovative UAM vehicles.
Back in June, the Korean government announced the Korean UAM Roadmap, outlining steps required to commercialise the scheme. Hyundai Motor and its partners will align with this roadmap that includes the Korean UAM Grand Challenge, the private/public joint project to provide the basis for jointly researching the construction and operation of vertiports/airports.
Hyundai is to develop the business, while IIAC establishes the infrastructure and feasibility of utilising UAM as airport shuttles. Hyundai Construction will employ its expertise to build vertiports as well as the transit hub that connects UAM to other public transportations. While, KT will set up the communications infrastructure and make business cases for UAM as a mobility service. All four parties will share necessary information during the development as well as partnering on test flights.
Jaiwon Shin, Executive Vice President and Head of Urban Air Mobility Division at Hyundai Motor, explained, “The breadth and depth of this partnership shows what it will take to build a comprehensive UAM ecosystem to serve megacities like Seoul.” Adding, “Building a robust infrastructure and business model is just as important as developing innovative UAM vehicles.”
At CES 2020, Hyundai unveiled its innovative vision for urban mobility and its first concept UAM vehicle equipped with eVTOL.
For visual presentation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6K7GAG1Aas
For more information
https://www.hyundai.com/worldwide/en/brand/hyundai-k-system-agility