by Riccardo Cacelli
London – Eve Air Mobility, the urban air mobility (UAM) subsidiary of aerospace titan Embraer, last week announced the site of its first eVTOL manufacturing facility.
Located in the Brazilian city of Taubaté, near São Paulo, the manufacturing facility will be built on land already owned by Embraer, pending approval by local authorities.
“When we began our search for a manufacturing location to build our eVTOL, we wanted to reinvent how the aircraft could be built using the latest technology and manufacturing processes, along with other aspects such as the supply chain and logistics – said Andre Stein, co-CEO of Eva – The team was tasked with designing an optimized assembly line that prioritizes safety, quality, efficiency, productivity and sustainability.”
The announcement follows Eve’s May 2022 partnership with Porsche Consulting to develop a global eVTOL manufacturing, supply chain and logistics macro strategy.
Since then, the companies have collaborated on the pursuit of advanced innovation and manufacturing concepts.
They have also been working on an industrialization concept for eVTOL, with safety at the forefront.
“This decision is in line with our strategic plan for growth, driven by innovation and sustainability – said Francisco Gomes Neto, president and CEO of Embraer – We believe in the huge potential of the global UAM market and strengthen our commitment to Eve as a major player in this industry.”
Eve was born in 2017 as a project by EmbraerX, a market accelerator within the aeronautical giant. In 2019, Embraer would unveil its first eVTOL concept, and Eve would become the accelerator’s inaugural laureate the following year.
The company’s all-electric aircraft is expected to have a range of 60 sq m (52 nm), powered by eight vertical-lift rotors and fixed wings for cruise flight. Unlike Joby or Archer designs, the rotors don’t change position during flight.
Eve says its design will offer a 90% smaller acoustic footprint than equivalent helicopters. It also promises to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 90 percent compared to cars. At launch, the aircraft will carry four passengers and be flown by a pilot.
It plans to offer UAM services on six different continents, with agreements to fly to Brazil, Latin America, France, Scandinavia, India, Kenya, Dubai, Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. The company also has an agreement to set up operations in San Francisco with United Airlines, which is a key investor.
Riccardo Cacelli
r.cacelli@uam-vertiports.com
