Eve Air Mobility this week released still images and video giving glimpses of what it says is progress in building the first full-scale example of the four-passenger eVTOL aircraft it aims to bring to market in 2026. The airframe is now being assembled at a new facility at Taubaté in Brazil’s São Paulo state, but the company has not provided an update as to when it will be ready to start test flights.
“We are making great progress on the assembly of our first eVTOL prototype and we are on schedule to complete production and begin flying,” said Eve’s CEO, Johann Bordais. “From the beginning, we have been consistent and steadfast taking a holistic approach to urban air mobility by understanding the required ecosystem and infrastructure necessary for eVTOL flights, developing services and operations solutions to support our customers from day one, and launching Vector, an innovative air traffic management software solution.”
By comparison with rival eVTOL manufacturers like Archer, Joby, and Lilium, the New York Stock Exchange-listed company has worked its program largely behind closed doors. It has reported letters of intent for nearly 3,000 prospective sales of the all-electric aircraft, which is expected to have an operational range of around 52 nm.
The latest iteration of the unnamed aircraft includes an electric pusher propeller powered by a pair of electric motors to provide propulsion redundancy. The aircraft, in which Eve’s main shareholder Embraer is heavily involved as an engineering partner, has eight propellers for vertical flight and fixed wings to extend range during cruise phases.
From the file name of an image released by Eve to the media, the company seems to have designated the first full-scale aircraft as a proof-of-concept model.