Eve Air Mobility’s eVTOL Air Taxi Achieves Maiden Flight
Eve Air Mobility, the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) division of aerospace titan Embraer, has successfully completed the first hover flight of its full-scale air taxi prototype on December 20, 2024. This marks a significant stride towards the commercialization of electric urban air transportation.
The unmanned hover flight of Eve’s engineering prototype lasted approximately one minute and was conducted at Embraer’s Gaviao Peixoto test facility in São Paulo, Brazil. The test served to validate the aircraft’s design, control systems, and integrated propulsion system, as per company officials.
Unlike its competitors such as Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation, Eve’s design incorporates eight fixed vertical-lift propellers and an electric pusher propeller, thereby avoiding complex tilting mechanisms. The aircraft is designed to accommodate up to four passengers plus a pilot, with a range of approximately 60 miles. The company asserts that it will offer a cost-per-seat that is six times lower than helicopters.
“Our approach is to ‘certify to fly, not fly to certify,'” stated Luiz Valentini, Eve’s Chief Technology Officer, underlining the company’s methodical development strategy. Eve anticipates receiving certification from Brazil’s ANAC and the FAA, with entry into service targeted for 2027. The company has already secured approximately 2,800 preorders for its electric air taxi, valued at billions of dollars.
Source: https://www.flyingmag.com/embraer-eve-electric-air-taxi-flight-test/