Hyundai Wia said on Tuesday that it has formed a new research unit for urban air mobility (UAM).
The company, an affiliate of Hyundai Motor, said was preparing to develop landing device and controller for use in UAM.
UAM aims to offer air taxis that have low noise, use environmentally friendly propeller system and land and liftoff vertically.
Hyundai Motor is pushing the business. Ithired in doctor Shin Jai-won, who previously worked at Nasa in the US, in 2019 for its UAM efforts. The automobile giant is also planning to form a subsidiary in Washington DC to foster its UAM business.
Last year in its annual reshuffle, Hyundai promoted Jung Jae-wook, previously the executive vice president of Hyundai Motor’s procurement unit, to the CEO of Hyundai Wia. Doctor Shin was also promoted to president.
Hyundai Wia recently finished the cooling system module for E-GMP, Hyundai Motor’s electric vehicle platform. The module is set to be supplied in 2023.
Hyundai’s Jose Munoz, the company’s global chief operating officer, told Reuters that the company could show off air taxi service before 2025.
