The British start-up Urban-Air Port worked with Hyundai Motor Group’s urban air traffic department to develop a blueprint and foundation for air traffic infrastructure.
The goal is to create autonomous drones and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) passenger vehicles to meet demand by providing infrastructure for clean urban air traffic around the world. The agreement will be a key part of Urban-Air Port’s plan to build 200 stations worldwide in the next five years.
According to data resource provider TNMT, investment in urban air transportation this year has reached US$4.7 billion, including new investments from Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation, Lilium and Vertical Aerospace. In the next 20 years, this industry is expected to reach US$1 trillion.
Urban-Air Port stated that this growth lacks the infrastructure to support these vehicles, making it a major obstacle in the market and creating major obstacles to urban air traffic in the short term. Earlier this year, Urban-Air Port received support from the British government to build a fully operational city airport and charging center for aircraft and drones. The port named Air-One will be unveiled in Coventry, England early next year.
The company focuses on the technology needed to deploy eVTOL aircraft and deliver drones, and plans to fill the infrastructure gap through more than 200 electric air traffic hubs around the world in the next five years to meet global demand. These centers will be able to support flying cars or drones of any size, and can be maintained and charged on site.
These hubs will be located in densely populated urban areas and remote areas, and can be easily moved to other locations, such as rapid deployment in any place where a disaster occurs or emergency services are needed. In addition, the hub will be integrated with all sustainable transportation modes, including electric cars, buses and scooters, as well as cargo that can be loaded and unloaded through seamless transportation.
Hyundai’s infrastructure will include the development of 65 sites in the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and the Asia-Pacific region. The goal is to unlock key areas by 2030. Hyundai is developing its own eVTOL vehicle while supporting the ecosystem and plans to have aircraft available in 2028. Two years ago, Uber showed off the prototype of flying taxi at CES 2020. However, Uber has already withdrawn from the flying car market.
News Source : Electronic 360
