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MARKET UPDATE - 14/12/2022 - ⚡️ ELECTRIC ✈️ AVIATION
THIS UPDATE SPONSORED BY:
Explore all the connections in this update - highlighted in green - in our Electric & Vertical Aviation 'EVA' Knowledge Graph here:
EVTOL / ADVANCED / URBAN AIR MOBILITY (UAM / AAM)
- LILIUM
- EHANG
- ABACON CAPITAL | CUSTOMCELLS | POSRCHE | VSQUARED VENTURES | WORLD FUND
- NATRON ENERGY | UNITED AIRLINES VENTURES
- ARCHER
- SIKORSKY
- AMAZON WEB SERVICES (AWS) | BETA TECHNOLOGIES
VERTIPORTS / INFRASTRUCTURE
- CORPORACION AMERICA AIRPORTS | SKYPORTS
- EVE | VOLATUS INFRASTRUCTURE
- AIRNOVA
- CASA
- CITY OF LOS ANGELES | URBAN MOVEMENT LABS
SMALL PROPELLER, COMMUTER (19-SEATS OR LESS)
- AIR NEW ZEALAND | BETA TECHNOLOGIES | CRANFIELD AEROSPACE SOLUTIONS | EVIATION | VOLTAERO
- EMBRAER
- AIR FRANCE INDUSTRIES KLM ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE | ZEROAVIA
EVTOL / ADVANCED / URBAN AIR MOBILITY (UAM / AAM)
EVE | FLYBIS
Eve announced the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) with FlyBIS Aviation, a Brazilian air mobility startup. The agreement will see the two companies "collaborate on the development of eVTOL operations in Brazil and South America...[and the] purchase up to 40 of Eve’s eVTOL vehicles":
(via Eve).
LILIUM | VOLARE AVIATION
The UK's Volare Aviation ordered 10 x 'Pioneer Edition' Lilium Jet aircraft with options on a further 10 of the newly announced 50 aircraft batch via a newly revealed eVolare subsidiary.
The companies will also collaborate on "sales of the Lilium Jet to private individuals" in the UK market as well as providing "safe and reliable operation of Lilium’s aircraft from Oxford, running a maintenance service centre and investing in landing infrastructure for Lilium’s UK network":
(via Lilium, Volare Aviation / eVolare).
LILIUM
Lilium reported Q3 results, highlights included:
€69m / $73m USD Q3 spend
€160m / $170m USD liquidity (prior to recent €112m / $119m fundraise)
Announcement of 'Lilium Pioneer Edition'
An initial focus on serving other operators of their aircraft, with their 'own network' an ambition put on the backburner (as reported by FlightGlobal)
An emphasis on turning existing MoUs into purchase agreements to generate pre-delivery cash (as reported by Vertical Mag)
(via Lilium).
EHANG
EHang reported Q3 results, highlights included:
RMB 8.2m / $1.2m USD Q3 revenue
RMB 80.5m / $11.3m USD Q3 total operating expenses
RMB 208.8m / $29.4m USD cash / equivalents on hand
EH216-S in "final phase of Demonstration and Verification of Compliance" with CAAC
(via EHang).
ABACON CAPITAL | CUSTOMCELLS | PORSCHE | VSQUARED VENTURES | WORLD FUND
Germany's Customcells successfully raised a €60m (c. $64m USD) Series A round of funding from:
Climate tech VC World Fund, who led the round, together with
Abacon Capital - a Hamburg-based family office
Vsquared Ventures - existing investors, increased their stake
Porsche Ventures - also existing investors
The company will use the funds "to expand its activities in the electrification of air traffic, intensify its research and development work and drive forward its internationalization." Previous investors 468 Capital and Prime Impulse "will remain involved in the company":
(via Customcells).
NATRON ENERGY | UNITED AIRLINES VENTURES
Sodium-ion battery manufacturer Natron Energy announced a strategic equity investment from United Airlines Ventures, who cited use cases at their parent airline, including:
Charging electric ground equipment
Charging anticipated future electric aircraft such as electric air taxis
"Natron plans to use the funds to accelerate production at its manufacturing facility in Holland, Michigan, where it will scale operations to begin mass production of UL-listed sodium- ion batteries in 2023."
(via Natron Energy).
AIRBUS | RENAULT
Airbus and Renault announced they are to collaborate on the development of batteries:
"The cooperation agreement will notably cover technology bricks related to energy management optimisation and battery weight improvement, and will look for the best pathways to move from current cell chemistries (advanced lithium-ion) to all solid-state designs which could double the energy density of batteries in the 2030 timeframe."
(via Airbus).
ARCHER
Archer claimed to have achieved "full transition flight" with their Maker prototype eVTOL on November 29th:
(via Archer).
VOLOCOPTER
Volocopter announced the completion of a two week long test flight campaign with their VoloDrone heavy-lift cargo drone at the DLR National Experimental Test Centre for Unmanned Aircraft, Magdeburg-Cochstedt Airport, Germany. Simulated airspace of Frankfurt and London airports was used.
As part of the CORUS-XUAM programme's 'Very Large Demonstration (VLD)' endeavor it included public displays of airspace deconfliction as well as "harmonizing the digital Air Traffic Management (ATM) and Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) interfaces":
(via Volocopter).
SIKORSKY
Vertical reported that "Sikorsky is developing a hybrid-electric VTOL demonstrator vehicle as part of its effort to enter the advanced air mobility (AAM) space — with its Matrix autonomous technology at the heart of the new system"
(via Vertical).
BETA TECHNOLOGIES
Beta Technologies are reportedly wrapping up "permitting for the buildout of its Franklin County facility" in a former Energizer battery plant. As reported by Josh Ellerbrock in the Saint Albans Messenger:
"The first phase will include the creation of six specialized concrete testing bunkers, a new loading area, roadway and space for control equipment. The purpose is to test batteries – charging and discharging them – to get a better understanding of the battery’s limits.
...the goal is to see how the batteries react when individual parts of the battery fail to better determine the conditions that would prompt a cascading thermal event, or explosion. The Federal Aviation Administration requires the safety testing before the federal government approves wider use of BETA’s electric aircraft."
(via Saint Albans Messenger).
MOOG | NASA
NASA shared that acoustic hover tests had been conducted in the summer by the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland using Moog's SureFly eVTOL (acquired from Workhorse in 2019) and "an array of 28 ground-level microphones...researchers will analyze and share the data with Moog":
(via NASA).
VERTICAL AEROSPACE
Vertical Aerospace added Leonardo AW609 tiltrotor veteran David King to their team as Chief Engineer (via Vertical Aerospace).
AMAZON WEB SERVICES (AWS) | BETA TECHNOLOGIES
Beta Technologies are using Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud computing services to support development of their aircraft:
(via AWS).
ROTOR X AIRCRAFT
Rotor X Aircraft unveiled their DRAGON "Ultralight eVTOL Personal Air Vehicle Kit" which they plan to sell for "under $100,000" from September 2023. The vehicle features a ballistic parachute and 'hands-free hover':
The vehicle was developed in partnership with US defence contractor Advanced Tactics Inc. who are developing the 4,400lb Black Knight Transformer 'roadable casualty evacuation and cargo resupply aircraft'for the US Army:
(via Rotor X Aircraft).
VERTIPORTS / INFRASTRUCTURE
MOHAMMED BIN RASHID AEROSPACE HUB | NEXA CAPITAL PARTNERS | UAE GENERAL CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY | VPORTS
Canada's Vports announced an agreement that will see the company "establish the world’s first AAM integrator world centre in Dubai" with operations slated to commence in 2024. Project partners include UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Mohammed bin Rashid Aerospace Hub (MBRAH) and NEXA Capital Partners:
"VPorts has signed a 25-year exclusive lease agreement with MBRAH, renewable for a further 25 years, to establish the state-of-the-art AAM centre on a 37,000-square-metre site within Dubai South. The project, which represents an initial investment of U$40 million over three years, is expected to generate US$7 billion in direct revenues in Dubai and Abu Dhabi Combined, over the next 25 years and create 1,500 high-quality direct jobs. Development and construction of the AAM integrator world centre will start in 2023; it is expected to begin operations and conduct its first flight test in 2024.
As part of the agreement, VPorts will partner with private investors to deliver advanced infrastructure, development, and operations. Multiple revenue streams and opportunities will be pursued and leveraged across all phases of development, from project conceptualisation through design, development, and long-term implementation. USA-based NEXA Capital Partners of Washington, DC, will lead the initial investment round, assembling a consortium of investors already active in the AAM sector."
(via Vports).
AERO MONTREAL | HELIJET | INNOVITECH | NUAIR | SYRACUSE HANCOCK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT | UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEM CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE | VPORTS
Vports announced the creation of an 'Advanced Air Mobility Corridor' between Syracuse Hancock International Airport in New York City and the company's own vertiport in Mirabel, Québec, Canada. The consortium of partners coming together to sign an MOU includes NUAIR, Syracuse Hancock International Airport, Aéro Montréal, Innovitech, the Unmanned Aerial System Centre of Excellence (Alma), and Helijet:
(via Vports).
CORPORACION AMERICA AIRPORTS | SKYPORTS
Skyports signed an MoU with Corporación América Airports that will see the two parties jointly "plan the development and deployment of vertiport infrastructure for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) operations" in Latin America.
The companies will also "evaluate which of Corporación América Airports’ assets are best suited for vertiport deployment, prioritising sites based on market readiness and opportunity. Location details for prospective vertiports will be confirmed at a later stage in the partnership."
EVE | VOLATUS INFRASTRUCTURE
Eve announced a deal to supply their Urban Air Traffic Management (UATM) software solution to Volatus Infrastructure for use in the company's vertiports:
(via Eve).
BLUENEST | EVE
Eve announced the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) with vertiport developer Bluenest - Spanish infrastructure operator Globalvia's vertiport focused subsidiary - that will explore use of Eve's Urban Air Traffic Management (UATM) solution in the company's vertiports:
(via Eve).
NASA | NEXTNAV
NASA confirmed their selection of NextNav's TerraPoiNT Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) system to support Urban Air Mobility (UAM) flight testing in the San Francisco Bay Area from the NASA Ames Research Center, utilising an existing network in the region to support Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flight testing.
"NextNav’s TerraPoiNT delivers precise geolocation services where satellite-based GPS signals may not be available. Through a network of terrestrial beacons, the system is able to deliver signals 100,000 times stronger than satellite-based GPS, providing robust resilience and security from disruptions."
(via NextNav).
AIRNOVA
France's Airnova launched a €3m funding campaign:
"...to develop what could be the first vertiport network connecting all major cities in France...
Airnova's vertiports are designed for multi-modal operations, including cargo and last-mile delivery, passenger transport and civil security operations, such as firefighting and air ambulance."
(via Vertical).
SK TELECOM
South Korea's SK Telecom are making progress on communications standards for Urban Air Mobility (UAM) services, having had a blueprint "for interworking structure and data communication between layers" approved by the International Telecommunication Union's Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) (via The Korea Economic Daily).
CASA
Australian regulator CASA opened their Guidelines for vertiport design for public consultation through to March 31st 2023 (via CASA).
CITY OF LOS ANGELES | URBAN MOVEMENT LABS
Urban Movement Labs published a primer on Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) in collaboration with the City of Los Angeles, where the community focused group is based. The report:
"...serves as a guide for cities to begin planning for the integration of advanced air mobility technologies...[and] provides city and other government stakeholders an overview of emerging advanced air mobility technologies, steps to consider during exploratory & initial planning phases, and considerations for the near future."
The full report can be downloaded here.
(via Urban Movement Labs).
SMALL PROPELLER, COMMUTER (19-SEATS OR LESS)
AIR NEW ZEALAND | BETA TECHNOLOGIES | CRANFIELD AEROSPACE SOLUTIONS | EVIATION | VOLTAERO
Air New Zealand announced the four companies it would work with to achieve a zero emissions demonstrator flight by 2026 through the airline's 'Mission NextGen Aircraft' programme:
"These partnerships involve Air New Zealand signing a "statement of intent to order", a document which demonstrates its ambition to acquire three aircraft initially, with further options for 20, from one or more of the partners subject to an evaluation process."
(via Air New Zealand).
REGIONAL AIRCRAFT / MW+
EMBRAER
Brazil's Embraer provided an update on their 'Energia' sustainable aircraft concepts. The company will progress two designs from the original four concepts, and focus on hybrid-electric and hydrogen electric propulsion variants of each:
"Energia Hybrid (E19-HE and E30-HE) – revealed as a nine seater in 2021, Embraer is exploring a 19 and a 30 seater variant:
parallel hybrid-electric propulsion
up to 90% CO2 emissions reduction when using SAF
19 and 30 seat variants
rear-mounted engines
technology readiness – early 2030’s
Energia H2 Fuel Cell (E19-H2FC and E30-H2FC) – revealed as a 19 seater in 2021, Embraer is exploring a 30 seater variant:
hydrogen electric propulsion
zero CO2 emissions
19 and 30 seat variants
rear-mounted electric engines
technology readiness – 2035"
Full specs here.
Aircraft renders here.
'Energia – The shape of things to come' event video below:
(via Embraer).
AIRBUS | ELRING KLINGER
Airbus revealed work on hydrogen fuel cell propulsion, undertaken in partnership with leading automotive fuel cell supplier Elring Klinger. with whom they formed Joint Venture subsidiary 'Aerostack GmbH' two years ago, specifically focused on the development of fuel cell stacks for aviation applications:
(via Airbus).
AIRBUS UPNEXT | CERN
Airbus subsidiary Airbus UpNext are collaborating with the European organisation for Nuclear Research CERN on "superconducting technologies for future clean aviation." More specifically the two parties will work together to:
"...develop and test in laboratory conditions, an optimised generic superconductor cryogenic (~500kW) powertrain by end 2025. SCALE will be designed, constructed and tested by CERN using Airbus UpNext specifications and CERN technology. The demonstrator consists of a DC link (cable and cryostat) with two current leads. The cooling system is based on gaseous helium."
(via Airbus)
AIR FRANCE INDUSTRIES KLM ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE | ZEROAVIA
ZeroAvia and Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance signed an MRO that will see the two companies work together on developing Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) capabilities and knowledge for hydrogen-electric powertrains (via ZeroAvia).
THIS UPDATE SPONSORED BY:
Explore all the connections in this update - highlighted in green - in our Electric & Vertical Aviation 'EVA' Knowledge Graph here: