'Flying vehicle' deal between Eve and Blade will extend across Europe
The future flying automobile from electric aircraft manufacturer Eve will be included into Blade Air Mobility's European route network, beginning with France, the firms said on Monday. The arrangement follows previous agreements between the companies to utilise Eve's electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOLs) in India and the US. The companies are now taking part in the Paris Airshow. Embraer, a Brazilian aircraft manufacturer, owns Eve and plans to launch its vehicle into commercial use in 2026.
Blade would concentrate on creating useful applications for air mobility, including discovering potential routes in France and other European nations, according to a statement from Eve and Blade. If Blade would need to purchase brand-new eVTOL planes as part of the arrangement, they didn't say. As part of its activities in Europe, Blade now flies traditional helicopters between Nice and Monaco.
Following the signing of a letter of intent for commercial operations in the United States, where Eve expects to provide up to 60 vehicles yearly, Eve and Blade last year planned to deploy up to 200 electric aeroplanes in India. Rob Wiesenthal, the chief executive officer of Blade, said, "Blade's commitment to leading the switch from conventional to electric vertical aircraft is underscored by the extension of our partnership with Eve."
Before beginning production, Eve had a backlog of approximately 2,800 orders, and investors like United Airlines and Rolls-Royce have supported its development. The company just revealed the initial equipment manufacturers for its eVTOLs, and it plans to start constructing its first full-scale prototype in the second half. For 2024, more testing is anticipated.
According to Eve CEO Andre Stein, the firms' expanded cooperation with Blade would enable them to pool their knowledge and resources to provide more accessible travel and promote environmental advancements. Last year, Blade purchased the scheduled and charter flying operations of the European companies Monacair, Heli Securite, and Azur Helicoptere, claiming that this would be "crucial" for ongoing technical and business conversations with Eve.