Hyundai, a developer of new types of air taxis

Hyundai will update its portfolio with new models next year, but in the distant future, the South Korean manufacturer has even more ambitious plans. In 2028, Hyundai may even produce electric air taxis.

At an online conference, Joe Munoz, CEO of Hyundai Motor North America, noted that the company is interested in all autonomous vehicles, so the production of air taxis is also planned. He mentioned this in connection with the fact that although the epidemic has increased the demand for private transport, car manufacturers are spending more energy on the production of SUVs and pickups, and the development of air taxis seems to be stalling.

Hyundai, Motional and Uber are developing an air taxi as part of a joint project that Munoz said will allow such urban transport to operate at major U.S. airports such as Los Angeles or New York from 2028 onwards. Munoz added that Hyundai is already working on a small aircraft capable of carrying five or six people that could be involved in airport traffic.

New models next year

Production of Hyundai Tucson’s creased model may begin in the first half of 2021 in Alabama, where the Santa Cruz model, which will also be released next year, will be produced later. It will be a compact pickcup, according to the manufacturer, while the Ioniq 5 crossover will be Hyundai’s first model on the new all-electric platform. The arrival of Inoiq 5 is also expected next year.

Munoz said Hyundai will also work with the newly elected Biden administration to develop battery-powered and fuel-cell electric drives, Reuters reports.