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Kakao Mobility and American air taxi Archer Aviation have signed a partnership to introduce electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. We plan to purchase up to 50 units of Archer's air taxi model, 'Midnight', and also plan to invest for early commercialization in Korea. Starting in 2026, we plan to provide it starting in Seoul, where the average daily commute time is close to 90 minutes. Afterwards, we plan to provide it to over 30 million users through Kakao T.
It is part of the ‘Korean Urban Air Transportation (K-UAM)’ challenge conducted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to reduce carbon emissions. In addition to Kakao Mobility, several companies are participating in the challenge to dominate the early domestic UAM market. 11 organizations were comprised of 3 consortium teams.
Kakao Mobility belongs to the Future Team along with LG U+ and GS E&C. Archer's Air Taxi Midnight seats 5 people, has a suitable driving range of 30-40 km, and a maximum speed of 240 km/h. Archer works with United Airlines to reduce investment costs by leveraging components from existing aerospace suppliers.
The 'Dream Team', in which SK Telecom, T Map Mobility, Korea Airports Corporation, and Hanwha Systems collaborate, collaborates with Joby Aviation. It is currently ranked first among air taxi developers in the United States. Joby's air taxi model S4 seats 5 people, has a maximum travel distance of 241km, and a maximum speed of 322km per hour. Joby is collaborating with Delta Air Lines and developing its own components to improve performance.
One Team (KT, Hyundai Motor Company, Korean Air, Incheon International Airport Corporation) uses domestically produced airframes. It uses the ‘Ofave’ airframe developed by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute. It is said that Hyundai Motor Group's 'S-A2' will be introduced in the commercialization stage. The S-A2 seats 5 people including a pilot, has a cruising altitude of 400~500mm, a cruising speed of 200km/h, and a service distance of 60km.
The overall appearance looks like a helicopter, airplane, and drone from all three companies rolled into one. Midnight feels closer to a sports car. The glossy exterior is accented with dark colors, making it feel like a sleek luxury car. The overall parts are thick and integrated, and there are 12 propellers, giving it a heavy and serious feel. The dark colors make it look like military equipment. The S4 feels more like a helicopter. The exterior is open thanks to the front glass, which creates a contrasting light feeling. The S-A2 is still a model, so it's difficult to imagine what the actual design will be like.
Can we now be free from traffic jams on the road? They said it was aimed at commuting hours, but it is unclear whether 50 four-seat taxis can solve the problem. I wonder how much I will have to pay.
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