AIR, a manufacturer of consumer eVTOLs, has announced its partnership with Nidec Motor Corporation, a manufacturer of commercial, industrial, and appliance motors and controls, to develop the motor for the production model of AIR’s two-seater eVTOL aircraft, AIR ONE. The two companies say they will design and develop a motor specifically for mid-sized eVTOL aircraft, ultimately filling a void in the burgeoning AAM (advanced air mobility) industry.
“Nidec, an industry veteran of fifty years and among the world’s largest electric motor manufacturers, will work with AIR to develop an efficient motor customised to support the single-charge journeys of up to 100 miles that AIR ONE offers” according to a press release. “Funded by the BIRD Energy program of the BIRD Foundation (Israel-U.S Binational Industrial R&D Foundation) to support innovative joint clean energy U.S.-Israel collaborations, the resulting enhanced-efficiency motor will be incorporated into AIR ONE’s continued flight testing and eventually into AIR’s production practices.
“The partnership is the latest milestone for AIR, which announced its participation in the U.S. Air Force’s prestigious AFWERX Agility Prime program last month to drive flight testing and additional eVTOL R&D efforts in the United States. Previous full-scale, full-weight flight tests, including hover-to-cruise and cruise-to-hover transitions, prove AIR’s status as an industry leader, flying ahead of the curve on these milestones. With over 1,000 AIR ONE vehicles reserved via preorder and a waiting list, AIR plans to deliver the first batch of aircraft to consumers following aircraft certification.”
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(Image: Air)