The new technological cooperation agreement aims to advance knowledge on the use and integration of electric motors in aircraft propulsion, which will in turn lead to benefits such as higher levels of energy efficiency and greater environmental sustainability. The first prototype is scheduled to make its maiden flight in 2020.

“Thanks to advances in scientific research, clean and renewable energies can be harnessed as a significant driver of new urban transport systems and more accessible regional air mobility for the population,” says Daniel Moczydlower, Executive Vice President of Engineering and Technology at Embraer.
 
Manfred Peter Johann, Managing Director of WEG Automation, comments: “Our constantly evolving propulsion technology, developed over many years for proven applications in trains, buses, trucks, and ships, has paved the way for this exciting scientific and technological collaboration. We will work together to make electric propulsion in aircraft a reality and enhance the technological capabilities of WEG, Embraer, and Brazil.”
 
After testing the new technologies developed in the laboratory, an aeronautical platform will be used for the integration and testing of complex systems under real operating conditions. A small, single-engine aircraft, based on the EMB-203 Ipanema, will be used as a testbed for the initial evaluation, before the first demonstration flight planned for next year.