Eve Air Mobility has appointed Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) as the supplier of its electric vertical take-off and landing towers for aircraft. Pylons are a key component of the airframe that provides support for the aircraft’s electrical power units and eight lift propellers.
«KAI has an excellent reputation for quality, technology and commercial performance by supplying numerous aerostructure components for a variety of aircraft, including Embraer’s E-Jet E2 model,” said Johann Bordais, CEO of Eve. “We are excited to have KAI join a strong and diverse list of suppliers who will work with us to supply components from prototype to production.”
During the last 30 years, KAI has supplied major aerostructure components to global aircraft manufacturers, including Embraer for its E-Jet E2 model. The agreement marks KAI’s formal entry into the advanced air mobility (AAM) market. Last year, KAI CEO Goo Young Kang designated space and future air mobility as the company’s top future businesses through its 2050 vision statement. KAI recently announced a major investment in production infrastructure aiming to increase its market share in the fast-growing AAM market in the future.
KAI is the latest Eve eVTOL supplier named by her. In February, Eve appointed Aciturri and Crouzet as suppliers of wing skin, spars and leading and trailing edges of the wing and pilot controls. In January, Eve announced that Thales would provide sensors and a computer, while Honeywell would provide guidance, navigation and external lighting. RECARO Aircraft Seating was selected to supply the eVTOL seats and FACC will supply the horizontal and vertical tail, including the rudder and elevator. In 2023, Eve selected Garmin to supply the aircraft’s avionics, Liebherr-Aerospace to supply the flight control actuators, and Intergalactic to provide the thermal management system. The company also appointed Nidec Aerospace, a joint venture between Nidec and Embraer, to provide the electric propulsion system, BAE Systems to provide the energy storage system and Duc Hélice Propellers to supply the rotors and propeller.
Eve’s eVTOL aircraft uses a lift+cruise configuration with eight dedicated propellers for vertical flight and fixed wings to fly in cruise, without changes in the position of these components during flight. The latest concept includes an electric pusher powered by two electric motors that provide propulsion redundancy with the aim of ensuring the highest levels of performance and safety. While it offers numerous advantages such as lower operating cost, fewer parts, optimized structures and systems, it has been developed to offer efficient thrust with low noise.
Last year, The company announced that its first eVTOL production facility will be located in the city of Taubaté, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The company has begun assembly of its first large-scale eVTOL prototype, which will be followed by a test campaign. Eve’s eVTOL is scheduled to begin delivery and enter service in 2026.
At the same time, Eve continues to develop a comprehensive portfolio of operations solutions and agnostic services, including Vector, a unique urban air traffic management software to optimize and scale urban air mobility operations around the world.
