Hyundai Motor Group signs MOU with Rolls-Royce for air mobility development

Industry

Published: 19 Jul. 2022, 17:08 Updated: 20 Jul. 2022, 11:15

Hyundai Motor Group signs MOU with Rolls-Royce for air mobility development

Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Euisun Chung, right, and Rolls-Royce CEO Warren East, standing next to an electric aircraft concept model made by Supernal that is expected to be introduced in 2028, pose for a photo after signing a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on the development of air mobility. [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Euisun Chung met with high-ranking officials of global aircraft manufacturers at the Farnborough International Airshow 2022 to ensure cooperation on the development of electric air mobility, including signing a memorandum of understanding with Rolls-Royce.

Chung held a meeting with Warren East, CEO of Rolls-Royce, and signed an MOU to co-develop battery-electric and fuel cell electric technology for its electric air mobility. The meeting, also attended by Shin Jai-won, head of the advanced air mobility (AAM) division at Hyundai Motor Group, was held at the booth of Supernal during the airshow on Monday.

Established in 2020, Supernal is a Washington-based urban air mobility company that researches electric vertical take-off and landing, the technology that will allow cars to fly. It is 44.4 percent owned by Hyundai Motor, 33.4 percent by Hyundai Mobis and 22.2 percent by Kia.

Under the agreement, Hyundai and Rolls-Royce will jointly develop an electric propulsion system with hydrogen fuel-cells as its energy source for an aircraft's regional air mobility (RAM).

While urban air mobility (UAM) refers to an air transportation system designed for operation within urban areas, RAM crosses longer distances to connect cities to each other.

The two parties also agreed to deliver a joint fuel-cell electric aircraft demonstration by 2025.

"We are pleased to partner with Rolls-Royce to draw upon their aviation and certification expertise to accelerate the development of hydrogen fuel-cell propulsion systems," Shin said. "We believe this to be the key technology to support the global aviation industry’s goal to fly at net zero carbon by 2050."

Chung also met with high-ranking officials at Boeing to discuss the future direction of the AAM industry.

Supernal plans to come up with an electric UAM product for cargo transport by 2026 and for passengers by 2028. In the 2030s, Supernal says it has plans for RAM products to connect cities.

Earlier in the year, Supernal made an investment of an undisclosed amount in British start-up Urban-Air Port to construct 200 vertiports around the world in the next five years to integrate AAM into existing transit networks.

BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]