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Electric Demonstrator Aircraft
Electric Demonstrator Aircraft
campaign
São José dos Campos, Brazil, August 13, 2021 – On the journey to a net
zero-carbon emissions future, another initiative of Embraer has reached a new stage with
the beginning of the flight test campaign of the electric demonstrator aircraft. Developed to
evaluate new technologies and solutions that enable 100% electric and more sustainable
aeronautical propulsion, the demonstrator conducts tests at Embraer's facility in Gavião
Peixoto, in São Paulo, Brazil.
Power, performance, control, thermal management, and operation safety were the
primary features evaluated in these manned first flights. The goal is to demonstrate real flight
conditions through results obtained from computational simulations, lab tests, and ground
integration of technology, which have taken place since the second half of 2019.
“The first flight of an aircraft is always an important milestone, and the takeoff of our
first zero-emission electric aircraft also represents the relevant contribution of our teams and
partners to the energy transition of the sector,” said Luis Carlos Affonso, Vice President of
Engineering, Technology Development and Corporate Strategy of Embraer. “We are
committed to seeking solutions to enable the future of a more sustainable aviation and
innovation will play a key role in this journey.”
This technological cooperation project used an electric powertrain system from WEG
and a set of batteries funded by EDP that was integrated into an EMB-203 Ipanema, an
aircraft that is part of Embraer's history. In 2004, it became the world´s first aircraft certified
and produced in series to fly on fuel from a renewable source (ethanol).
The knowledge acquired on the electric demonstrator aircraft tests will allow Embraer
to develop innovative new products in line with the company’s continuous search for a
sustainable future. This is the case of eVTOL (electric vertical landing and take-off aircraft),
also known as EVA (Electric Vertical Aircraft or electric vertical aircraft), developed by Eve,
Embraer's Urban Air Mobility company.