SEOUL, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Hyundai Motor Group's air taxi unit Supernal plans to build a manufacturing facility in the United States to make flying electric taxis for commuters, the South Korean auto group said on Wednesday.
Electric air taxi-makers worldwide have pitched themselves as clean alternatives to decongest cities, attracting investment from airline heavyweights such as Delta Air Lines Inc (DAL.N) though they are still a long way away from commercial operations.
Shin said the eVTOL taxi would be capable of flying at 120 mph (193 kph) and have capacity for a pilot and four passengers, targeting December 2024 for a test flight.
Hyundai Motor, Kia Corp (000270.KS) and Hyundai Mobis (012330.KS), have together invested 1.2 trillion won ($915.70 million) in Washington-based Supernal since its establishment in 2021, according to regulatory filings.
Last month, Hyundai Motor Group signed an agreement with Korean Air Lines (003490.KS) to work together to accelerate the design of electric eVTOL vehicles and air mobility ecosystem in South Korea.
Persons:
Shin Jaiwon, Shin, 1,310.4700, Heekyong Yang, Robert Birsel
Organizations:
Hyundai, South Korean, Supernal, Bloomberg, Electric, Delta Air Lines Inc, Kia Corp, Hyundai Motor Group, Korean Air Lines, Thomson
Locations:
SEOUL, United States, Las Vegas, Washington, South Korea