Hyundai wants to reduce traffic with flying cars

MANILA: Heavy traffic is an everyday reality for motorists living in urban jungles of developing countries. To decrease road congestion, Hyundai Motors is embarking on a mission of developing flying cars.

Speaking of which, the South Korean automaker launched Urban Air Mobility (UAM). The new flying car division will be responsible for creating flying vehicles for public consumption. It also aims to provide "innovative and smart mobility solutions" which have never been seen or imagined. Heading the company's UAM Division is a former NASA engineer, Dr. Jaiwon Shin.

"Having worked on cutting-edge aviation research and development at NASA for 30 years, I am very excited and humbled by the opportunity to now shape urban air mobility strategy at Hyundai Motor Group," Shin said.

Shin led the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate at the National Aeronautics Space Aviation for 11 years. During his stint at NASA, he has worked on electric aircraft, the supersonic X-plane, and an unmanned aircraft traffic management system.

Shin will be working with a team of experts to develop "core strategies" that could help pave the way for urban air mobility and establish Hyundai's presence in the industry. According to Hyundai, UAM market shares are expected to reach $1.5 trillion in the next two decades.

Hyundai isn't the first company to set their eyes on this ambitious goal. Toyota Motors has been working on a flying car prototype called SkyDrive. Chinese car brand Geely is also set to launch a flying vehicle after it acquired U.S. start-up Terrafugia.

However, Hyundai is the first automaker to have its own in-house flying car division. With Shin's expertise in aviation safety, airframe engine, and air traffic management, the Japanese brand may have a competitive edge over its rivals.

A flying car barely classifies as shocking news for the automaker. Early this year, Hyundai announced "Elevate" at CES 2019. The walking car concept is an Ultimate Mobility Vehicle (UMV) designed for disaster assistance. By combining the technology of robots and electric cars, Hyundai Elevate is capable of traversing treacherous terrains following a natural disaster.

For now, we'll have to sit tight until Hyundai releases a flying car concept.

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