Embraer developing electric aircraft

Embraer unveiled today, on the eve of its 50th anniversary, images of its demonstrator aircraft with 100 per cent electric propulsion technology, which is currently under development. The prototype has a special paint scheme and is ready to receive systems and components.

The aircraft's electric motor and controller are being manufactured by WEG at the company's headquarters in Jaraguá do Sul, Santa Catarina, Brazil, as part of the scientific and technological co-operation agreement for joint development of electrification technologies.

Advances on the project include the partnership with Parker Aerospace that will be responsible for supplying the cooling system for the demonstrator aircraft.

In the forthcoming months, the companies' technical teams will continue to test the systems in labs, preparing their integration in the demonstrator aircraft for testing under real operating conditions. The first flight of the prototype is scheduled for 2020.

About the technological co-operation

The proposed scientific development programme of aeronautical electrification, formalised through the co-operation between Embraer and WEG announced in May 2019, constitutes an effective and efficient instrument for experimentation and maturation of the technologies before they are applied in future products.

The partnership, in the context of pre-competitive research and development, seeks to accelerate the knowledge of the necessary technologies to increase the energy efficiency of an aircraft, considering the use and integration of electric motors into innovative propulsion systems. A small single-engine aircraft, based on the EMB-203 Ipanema, will be used as test bed, carrying out the initial evaluation of the electrification technology.

The electrification process is part of a series of efforts carried out by Embraer and the aeronautical industry aimed at ensuring the commitment with the environmental sustainability, as already done with biofuels to reduce carbon emissions.

By establishing strategic partnerships through more agile co-operation mechanisms, Embraer is stimulating knowledge networks to allow a significant increase in Brazil’s competitiveness and the construction of a sustainable future.