United Airlines has announced a 15 million USD investment in Eve Air Mobility alongside a conditional purchase agreement for 200 four-seat electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOL), with options for an additional 200 units.
United anticipates that the eVTOL aircraft will provide zero-emission commuter air travel from 2026 when the first deliveries are expected.
Under the terms of the agreement, the companies will work on future projects, including studies on the development, use and application of Eve’s aircraft and the urban air mobility (UAM) ecosystem.
Michael Leskinen, President of United Airlines Ventures said:Our agreement with Eve highlights our confidence in the urban air mobility market and serves as another important benchmark toward our goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050 – without using traditional offsets. Together, we believe our suite of clean energy technologies will revolutionise air travel as we know it and serve as the catalyst for the aviation industry to move toward a sustainable future.
eVTOL aircraft are designed to use electric motors to power carbon-free air travel in urban environments.
Eve’s design has a range of 60 miles (100 km) and the vehicles are expected to reduce noise levels by 90 percent compared to current conventional aircraft.
United’s investment in Eve was driven by Eve’s relationship with Embraer, an established aircraft manufacturer. This relationship includes access to Embraer’s service centres, parts warehouses and field service technicians.
Andre Stein, co-CEO of Eve said:United's investment in Eve reinforces the trust in our products and services and strengthens our position in the North American market. I am confident that our UAM agnostic solutions, coupled with the global know-how we have been developing at Eve and Embraer’s heritage, are the best fit for this initiative, giving United’s customers a quick, economical and sustainable way to get to its hub airports and commute in dense urban environments. It is an unparalleled opportunity to work with United to advance the US UAM ecosystem, and we look forward to it.
As part of this agreement, United has also joined the consortium led by Eve, which will simulate UAM operations in Chicago from 12 September 2022.
