Daegu-based Sambo Motors Group, which has been leading the way in the production of automobile engines, transmissions, and interior and exterior parts for over 40 years, is growing from a ‘rising star’ to a ‘dark horse’ in the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) sector.

Sambo Motors Group is scheduled to unveil its HAM III-2, a two-seater UAM, for the first time in the world at CES 2025, the world’s largest IT and home appliance exhibition to be held in Las Vegas, USA, in January next year.

Sambo Motors Group began its powerful flight by demonstrating its HAM III-1, the world’s first hybrid UAM, at the Daegu International Future Auto & Mobility Expo 2025 (DIFA) held at EXCO on October 19, 2023.

An aircraft — with a 240kg battery and a 10kg hydrogen fuel tank, held by the control stick by a dummy in the form of a mannequin wearing a helmet, 178cm tall and weighing 90kg — flew for about three minutes, and landed safely at the site. Although the flight was indoors due to insufficient regulations, it left a great impression on the visitors.

HAM III-1 is the world’s first aircraft that can fly by simultaneously using hydrogen fuel cells and batteries, and it can fly up to 40km one way at a maximum speed of 90km/h, and it can fly for up to 35 to 40 minutes. This was confirmed through testing on a battery UAM that received the first UAM special airworthiness certificate (flight safety reliability verification) from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) on September 25, last year.

The multi-passenger UAM HAM III-2 to be unveiled at CES 2025 is even more special. It is a large hybrid aircraft that measures 9m from wingtip to wingtip, is 4.5m high, and weighs 850kg, surpassing the HAM III-1.

A hydrogen fuel cell flight test is also scheduled to be held in the deserts of the United States in January next year. Through the hydrogen fuel cell flight test, which is not yet possible in Korea due to insufficient regulations, Sambo Motors Group plans to test actions such as ascent, descent, and turning in various climate environments ― and then present a new model of UAM, and prove its strengths that differentiate it from existing UAMs in terms of flight safety and fuel efficiency.

A spokesperson for the Group remarked, “We are confident that the HAM III-2 does not lag behind the performance of those of global companies. We will confidently present to the world an aircraft that contains technology that maximizes flight time by selectively and comprehensively driving two power sources ― hydrogen fuel cells and batteries.”

Sambo Motors Group, which has been working on future mobility-related businesses since 2015 and developed UAM for logistics in 2022, has further improved the perfection of hybrid UAM ― based on human resources that can independently perform many processes such as aircraft design and analysis, and development of core components related to hydrogen fuel.

Sambo Motors Group is also securing innovative technologies in autonomous flight systems through long-distance encrypted communication modules, aircraft control, and development of electrical components, and is currently applying for numerous domestic and international patents.

In particular, Sambo Motors Group will be introducing a logistics mobile robot, AMR. It is drawing attention as it maximizes the efficiency of logistics processing within the factory by overcoming the disadvantage of difficulty in securing a route due to space constraints and enabling smooth logistics movement even in narrow spaces.

“We will present innovative UAM and AMR technologies to the world at CES 2025. So, please pay close attention to the blueprint for future mobility that Sambo Motors Group will lead,” proudly commented a spokesperson for the Group.

 
 
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