Safran Electrical & Power has announced the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has certified its ENGINeUS 100 motor – the first electric motor certified to power new air mobility, said the company in a press release.
The motor obtained certification after a campaign involving 1,500 hours of motor certification tests and more than 100 flight hours on an aircraft in real-world conditions. It is the result of four years of collaboration with EASA to define the specific airworthiness rules for electric propulsion and design the right methods to properly assess and certify it.
“The ENGINeUS 100 electric motor is a whole host of innovations,” says SAFRAN. “Its design includes power and control electronics directly integrated into the motor. It can be easily integrated into all propulsion architectures, thanks to its compactness, lightness and its air cooling system. It delivers maximum power of 125 kW, with an unrivalled weight-to-power ratio of 5 kW/kg.
“”Safran Electrical & Power is preparing to mass-produce the ENGINeUS range with the creation of four semi-automated production lines in 2026 in Niort (France) and Pitstone (UK), enabling production of more than 1,000 electric motors per year, with capacity to increase production.
The ENGINeUS electric motor is designed to meet the varying requirements of the new mobility market thanks to its inherent ability to integrate into multiple architectures: from 100% electric propulsion for small two to four passengers aircraft, to distributed hybrid-electric propulsion for 19-passenger small regional transport aircraft, right up to the electric hybridization of future generations of commercial aircraft engines, capable of carrying 150 passengers. Many planemakers operating in new air mobility have already opted for Safran’s ENGINeUS motor range or GENeUS motor-generators: AURA AERO, Bye Aerospace, CAE, Diamond Aircraft, Electra, TCab Tech, and VoltAero. The certification of the ENGINeUS 100 is a major milestone towards the production and market launch of the first aircraft.”
According to EASA in a press statement: “The certification of the ENGINeUS writes the first lines of a novel propulsion story in aviation and simultaneously marks the successful conclusion of an eight-year journey from the perspective of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The electric ENGINeUS 100 series is starting with the B1 model now certified, initially planned for installation on a two-seater aircraft. The aim is to extend the series to a greater power range (from 89 KW to 180 KW), a baseline to allow for wider application in up to 19-seater aircraft.”
For more information
https://www.safran-group.com/pressroom/safran-obtains-easa-certification-first-electric-motor-new-air-mobility-2025-02-03
https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/newsroom-and-events/press-releases/how-easa-certified-safrans-engineus-100-electric-engine