Hyundai-Kia unveils first demonstration of integrated ground-air mobility technology in Indonesia

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Motors will kick off their activities with a public event at Samarinda Airport, near Indonesia's new capital city, on 29 September (local time) to demonstrate mobility technology that integrates land and air.

The event was attended by government officials from the Indonesian Ministry of Transport and the New Capital Development Authority, as well as Hyundai Motor Company officials, including Kim Chul-woong, Vice President of AAM Business Promotion. Indonesia is known as a country with high growth potential for the AAM business as it has a large land area and is composed of more than 18,000 islands, making it difficult to develop land transport.

The technology demonstration was designed to develop and further enhance Hyundai-Kia's Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) 'Shuckle' and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) services to suit the actual customer experience. In particular, it is significant in that it presents a service that provides passengers with more freedom and comfort in mobility through an integrated mobility solution that connects ground and air mobility.

First, government officials from the Ministry of Transport and the New Capital Region Administration listened to Hyundai-Kia representatives explain the Shuckle app, which allows users to experience the entire booking and payment process for integrated ground-to-air mobility, including AAM. They then used the actual Shuckle app to call a Hyundai County EV bus, which was modified for the technology demonstration, and moved to the airport hangar, the main venue for the event.

The AAM airframe demonstration used the Korea Aerospace Research Institute's AAM prototype 'OPPAV'. Hyundai-Kia participated in the development of the OPPAV's core technology, the electrified powertrain, based on proven electrification technology from the automotive industry, and implemented distributed electric propulsion technology that independently drives multiple motors and batteries. After taking off along a flight path pre-agreed with the Indonesian Ministry of Transport, OPAV flew for about two kilometres and arrived safely at its destination.

A scale model of the S-A2, a new AAM airframe under development for commercialisation in 2028, was on display at the event, attracting the attention of attendees. The S-A2 was first unveiled at CES 2024 in January this year, four years after Hyundai-Kia unveiled its first visionary concept, the S-A1, in 2020. Indonesian government officials showed interest by asking questions about the design and performance of the S-A2 airframe.

"The future of airborne mobility does not end with airframe development alone, but requires the cooperation of the entire aviation industry," said Chulwoong Kim, Head of AAM Business Promotion at Hyundai-Kia. "Supernal and Hyundai-Kia will continue research and development with the goal of commercialising AAM in 2028, while continuing strategic partnerships with the Indonesian government and institutions to drive the future AAM ecosystem."

Meanwhile, Hyundai has been working with Indonesia to commercialise AAM in the country, having signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indonesian Ministry of Transport and the New Capital Region Authority in 2022 to collaborate on developing future mobility solutions.

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Photo Hyundai Motor Company