Eve Air Mobility (Eve) has announced its first three suppliers for its electric take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Co-chief executive of Eve, Andrew Stein, called the announcement a milestone in the development of the aircraft, which is targeting an entry-into-service date in 2026.
Nidec Aerospace, a collaboration between Nidec Corporation and Embraer, will provide the aircraft’s electric propulsion system, while BAE Systems will manufacture a zero-emissions energy storage system.
DUC Hélice Propellers will provide the aircraft with its eight lift motors and cruise propeller. Eve’s eVTOL aircraft utilises a “lift+cruise” configuration with eight dedicated propellers for vertical flight and fixed wings to fly on cruise, with no change in position of these components during flight.
The latest propulsion concept includes an electric pusher powered by dual electric motors that is intended to provide propulsion redundancy while ensuring high performance and safety. As well as promising a lower cost of operation, fewer parts, optimised structures and systems, the new system has also been developed to offer efficient thrust with low sound, claims Eve, which has been a major challenge for the open-rotor aircraft to address.
“We are looking forward to working with these new suppliers as we accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable air travel,” said Alice Altissimo, vice president of program management and operation of Eve.
Eve expects to name additional component suppliers including flight-control systems, avionics, airframe and power-management systems “in the future”.
The company plans to start the assembly of its first full-scale eVTOL prototype during the second half of 2023, followed by the test campaign in 2024.
Meanwhile, Eve has also announced the extension of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Blade Air Mobility (Blade) to integrate Eve’s eVTOL aircraft into Blade’s European route network. Currently, Blade uses helicopters and amphibious aircraft in its global air mobility platform but is pivoting to the use of advanced air mobility solutions. In 2022 Eve entered into an agreement with Blade India to deploy up to 200 eVTOLs in the country. The year before, Blade and Eve signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for operations in the United States, enabling Eve to provide up to 60 eVTOLs annually in the West Coast, New York and Florida markets.
"Extending our partnership with Eve underscores Blade's commitment to leading the transition from conventional to electric vertical aircraft," said Rob Wiesenthal, CEO of Blade. "Our shared vision for a safer, quieter and more sustainable future in air travel is the driving force behind this collaboration. The introduction of Eve's aircraft into our European network will mark a significant step towards realizing this goal. Together, we are poised to transform the travel industry and make a lasting positive impact on the environment."