Eve Air Mobility has selected BETA Technologies and Nidec Aerospace as suppliers for the electric motors that will power its electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft.
The Florida, USA-based company has chosen BETA to supply electric pusher motors for its conforming prototypes and production eVTOL aircraft. The agreement represents a potential 10-year opportunity worth up to US$1 billion.
Nidec Aerospace will provide lifter motors for the eVTOL. The aircraft uses a lift-plus-cruise configuration with eight dedicated propellers for vertical flight and fixed wings for cruise.
According to Eve it has a backlog of 2,800 eVTOL orders. The selection follows an evaluation period during which Eve purchased, tested, and validated BETA motor performance in its Engineering Prototype ahead of its first flight, expected late this year or early 2026.
“Integrating BETA Technologies into our supply chain is a pivotal milestone in advancing our eVTOL program,” said Johann Bordais, chief executive officer of Eve Air Mobility. “Their electric motor technology will play a critical role in powering our aircraft during cruise, supporting the maturity of our propulsion architecture as we progress toward entry into service.”
BETA designs and manufactures proprietary electric propulsion systems offering high power-to-weight ratios and energy-conversion efficiencies. The designs feature segment redundancy and fewer parts than traditional aircraft engines.
“Our pusher motors have already proven high performance and reliability in thousands of demanding real-world operations across the globe,” said Kyle Clark, chief executive officer and founder of BETA. “Our manufacturing capability will allow us to deliver these systems at scale to support Eve’s aircraft.”
The eVTOL features an electric pusher powered by dual electric motors, providing propulsion redundancy. This configuration allows separate systems to be optimized for each flight phase, simplifying maintenance and reducing operational costs.
The aircraft has no moving parts in flight during cruise, which also minimizes the sound footprint, according to Eve.
Eve is conducting tests with its prototype to evaluate flight capabilities, performance, and safety features. The company has assembled a supply chain including BAE Systems for batteries, Garmin for avionics, Honeywell Aerospace for external lighting, and Intergalactic for thermal management.
