It will be working with the city to establish a launch in 2028.
Hyundai has had a stellar start to 2022 with the successful launch of the Ioniq 5 EV. This quaint compact crossover hatch is expected to be joined by a performance N variant and larger Ioniq 7 SUV in the near future, while the South Korean brand has even more models in the pipeline. It's also been working on a new air taxi service. This project was first revealed to us in November last year with the promise of an inaugural flight set to take place in 2028.
This new service will fall under the Hyundai Group's recently created Supernal brand that will use an innovative electric aircraft designed to cover one mile of distance every minute. An air taxi service sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, but Supernal is pushing ahead with the idea regardless, announcing that it has struck an agreement with the City of Miami which will enable it to develop advanced air mobility (AAM) in the region.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the city permits the company to explore opportunities of providing citizens with commuting services that travel through air space, making this agreement a first-of-its-kind.
Jaiwon Shin, CEO of Supernal, and President of Hyundai Motor Group says, "We are honored to play a role in responsibly co-creating the future of mobility for the city of Miami. Because of the leadership demonstrated by Mayor Suarez, our work together will help establish the city of Miami as a model for AAM market development we hope to replicate in other cities.
"I'm excited to be taking this step in Miami's history. I want Miami to be the epicenter of creativity and innovation and I want the future of transportation here. This MOU will pave the way for cities across the United States and the world to solve mobility issues for their constituents."
The power of the MOU allows Supernal to collaborate with community organizations to hone in on any existing flaws with the current offering of transportation. Once these gaps are identified, it will work on implementing AAM as a solution to create a holistic transportation system for the city.
Now that it has an agreement with the city, the Miami population will also benefit through the launch of workforce development and education programs. Supernal is going to need a set of sharp minds and capable hands if it's going to operate a short-distance taxi service that runs through the skies. These trained individuals will then be able to adapt to the existing Metrorail, Metrobus and Metromover systems so that they can be brought up to the air taxi's standards.
Overseeing the relationship between Supernal and the City of Miami will be Venture Miami. This group will manage everything from overseeing key aspects of the MOU to scheduling meetings and collaborations with members that will be key to the success of this ambitious project.
Diana Cooper, Global Head of Policy and Regulation of Supernal says, "Our partnership with the City of Miami is about more than selling electric air vehicles or securing rights to establish. At this stage, our interest is bringing together different public and private sector voices to explore when and how AAM can address the city's transportation needs and challenges. From there, we will create a roadmap together based on community input and other considerations. When Miami succeeds, Supernal succeeds."
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