Industry Embraer electric demonstrator aircraft enters test campaign

Designed to develop and evaluate new innovations and technologies that enable zero-carbon emissions in the aviation industry, the new electric demonstrator has taken a new milestone. By entering the flight test phase, Embraer will gain valuably new information to analyse and evaluate new approaches.

The aircraft will conduct a wide range of tests at Embraer´s facility in Gavião Peixoto, São Paulo. Together with electric mobility solution companies EDP and WEG, Embraer is trying to use the open innovation strategy for accelerated development of technologies for the future.

With the help of the companies, electrical devices will be integrated into an innovative propulsion system, which then should increase the energy efficiency of aircraft for the future. According to Embraer, the goal of the first flights is it to compare real flight conditions with them in the simulator or lab.

Luis Carlos Affonso, Vice President of Engineering, Technology Development and Corporate Strategy of Embraer, said: “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 […] 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.”

The aircraft used for the test flights is an EMB-203 Ipanema, which has a rich history with Embraer. In 2004, the 203 became the first aircraft in the world to be certified to fly on fuel from renewable sources.

Embraer has recently announced that it wants carbon neutral operations by 2040, as the company is recognizing “the urgency of the climate crisis” and is committed to a more sustainable future. Through its company Eve, the Brazilian manufacturer is also a leading developer of eVTOL solutions.

“Embraer has a permanent technological development program, which has enabled efficiency gains in aircraft performance, reducing its consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Research in aeronautical electrification is part of a broader effort to explore a new generation of renewable energy and the transition to a net zero-carbon emissions future,“ the manufacturer stated.