Hyundai Motor Co. has begun developing an unmanned aircraft for cargo transport and has announced the concept of “air cargo” to be commercialized in 2026. The company is already developing a personal aerial vehicle (PAV) that will be responsible for moving people around in urban areas, and this technology will be applied to cargo transport aircraft. It is envisioned as a transport aircraft that will carry more cargo than drones carrying small cargo.
They are inviting domestic companies in a wide range of aviation-related industries, such as aircraft design and flight control, to participate in the project. Hyundai says it will “accumulate mass production technology for aero-mobility and develop an industrial system for unmanned aircraft in Korea.”
Hyundai’s new development is an unmanned aerial vehicle with a fixed wing. The aircraft is expected to be able to take off and land vertically in anticipation of its use in cities. The aircraft is expected to be able to change the direction of its propellers as it travels. Hyundai plans to make up 50% of its future sales from automobiles, 30% from PAVs, and 20% from robots, with the small aircraft business as the second pillar of its business after automobiles. It has also announced a plan to start a ‘flying cab’ business in partnership with Uber Technologies.
Source: The Nikkei
PSR Analysis: Only a large company like Hyundai can take on such a large project. Not only does the development itself require a lot of money, but it also takes a very long time to turn a profit. In the aviation space, many small ventures are now getting into the drone business but developing an aircraft to transport more cargo is not a challenge for small ventures. In that sense, Hyundai’s challenge has the potential to become their dominant market in the future.
Of course, governmental cooperation will be necessary, including legislation, and the commercialization test itself will not be easy. The goal of five more years may seem a bit too optimistic, but the challenge itself is a welcome and noteworthy undertaking. PSR
Akihiro Komuro is Research Analyst, Far East and Southeast Asia, for Power Systems Research
