UK startup Urban-Air Port has announced plans with Hyundai Motor Group's Urban Air Mobility Division to develop 65 electric urban-air ports worldwide to meet the growing demand for autonomous airborne drones and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) passenger vehicles.
Urban Air Port Hanger
Photo: Urban-Air Port
In a press release, the companies said that the aim of the new partnership is to establish a global network of urban-air ports and provide the essential infrastructure to unlock clean urban air mobility worldwide. The partnership with Hyundai forms part of Urban-Air Port’s plan to build 200 sites globally in the next five years.
Investment in the urban air mobility industry has exploded this year, with $4.7 billion (€4 billion) announced for the development of eVTOL vehicles. Companies including Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation, Lilium and Vertical Aerospace have all announced SPAC (Special-Purpose Acquisition Company) investments to bring eVTOLs to market within the decade and the industry is forecast to hit $1 trillion in the next 20 years.
However, one major block to market growth is the lack of infrastructure to support these vehicles, with experts at NASA saying infrastructure constraints will create a significant barrier to urban air mobility in the near term. Despite this, only 3% of the investment so far this year ($150 million) is in the physical infrastructure.
Urban Airport Coventry. Credit: Urban-Air Port Ltd
A render of the Urban-Air Port in Coventry. Photo: Urban-Air Port
Urban-Air Port claims to be the only company solely focused on deploying the infrastructure technology essential for eVTOLs and delivery drones to operate. It plans to plug the infrastructure gap with more than 200 electric air mobility hubs worldwide in the next five years to meet expected global demand. The world’s first fully operational urban-air port – named Air-One – will be unveiled early next year in Coventry, UK.
Read more: Coventry to host world's first eVTOL airport
Ricky Sandhu, Founder and Executive Chairman of Urban-Air Port, said: “The sector is soaring and we know that a future with electric flying vehicles and drones in cities is going to be a reality soon. But it can’t happen if we don’t have the infrastructure on the ground and in the air to make it happen. Urban-Air Port will change the way we travel forever – unlocking clean urban air transport for everyone, improving connectivity in congested cities, cutting pollution and boosting productivity.”
Urban-Air Port’s modular hubs are specifically designed for compact environments and the company says they can support any eVTOL or drone vehicle. Maintenance and charging would take place on-site.
The design is ultra-compact and it works off-grid, meaning the urban-air ports can be located in both dense urban areas and remote locations and can also be easily moved to alternative sites, as the air-mobility sector develops.
Read more: eVTOL market to hit $1.9bn by 2035 as urban congestion rises
Hyundai Motor Group will work with Urban-Air Port to develop 65 sites in key locations across the US, UK, EU and Asia Pacific. The partnership forms part of Hyundai's goal to provide smart mobility and the group is developing its own eVTOL vehicle, in tandem with helping create the supporting ecosystem, and plans to enter service in 2028.
Pamela Cohn, Chief Operating Officer and US General Manager for the Urban Air Mobility Division of Hyundai Motor Group, said: “Urban Air Mobility will be integral to how we get from A to B this century. Hyundai Motor Group has a bold vision for future mobility and is committed to making the human and technological investments needed to usher in a new era of transport. Urban-Air Port is key to opening up safe, affordable, zero-emission mobility, which will take urban air mobility from science fiction to tangible reality.”
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