Raphael ThysCars could be taking to the air towards the end of this decade, according to Michael Cole, chief executive for European operations at world-leading South Korean automaker Hyundai.
Addressing a conference organised by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, a trade association for the UK motor industry, Cole said that Hyundai has made some “very significant investments” in urban air mobility.
However, it will take some time before these plans get off the ground, he said.
“We think that by the latter part of this decade certainly, urban air mobility will offer great opportunity to free up congestion in cities, to help with emissions, whether that’s intra-city mobility in the air or whether it’s even between cities.
"If you'd asked me a few years ago were flying cars something that I would see in my lifetime, I wouldn't have believed it," he said. "It's part of our future solution of offering innovative, smart mobility solutions."
Hyundai is deeply invested in the development of electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft through their visionary Urban Air Mobility program.
Hyundai has partnered with rideshare services provider Uber to design and develop an electric flying vehicle for a future air-taxi service.
Image: Hyundai’s S-A1 model unveiled at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Photo: Hyundai