Nidec will make a minority equity investment of US$20 million in Eve Air Mobility, a manufacturer of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and launch partner for Nidec Aerospace’s propulsion system, through Nidec’s subsidiary, Nidec Motor Corporation (NMC).

In June 2023, Nidec established Nidec Aerospace LLC, a joint venture with leading aircraft manufacturer Embraer, for the development and manufacturing of a globally competitive electric propulsion system for the aviation industry.

This includes the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) industry, which continues to attract worldwide attention as emerging players develop technologies to solve challenges in electrifying urban transit. In its first stage, Nidec Aerospace will provide an electric propulsion system to Eve, a leading eVTOL manufacturing player in the AAM space, and will later supply to other players and other non-eVTOL AAM applications.

Eve was launched as Embraer’s eVTOL development project in 2017, then spun off into a separate company in 2020 and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2022. Following this investment, Embraer will still own more than 80% of Eve’s shares. Backed by the full support and certification expertise from Embraer, Eve is steadily progressing with aircraft development, with flight tests planned by the end of 2024, and type certification and start of production slated for 2026.

Eve is currently raising funds and strengthening its relationships with strategic suppliers ahead of type certification, which is considered the most difficult hurdle for eVTOL commercialization.

Nidec envisions growing beyond supplying electric propulsion systems for eVTOL and into a wider range of aviation-related markets, including large industrial unmanned drones, next-generation hybrid aircraft, and next-generation electric aircraft. The company aims to leverage its relationship with Embraer to establish itself as an aviation technology leader with Nidec Group’s small, lightweight, and highly efficient motor technology.

This investment also furthers Nidec’s plans to enter the infrastructure space in the aviation market to supply products such as chargers for electrified aircraft.

Nidec ASI Co. Ltd., a member of the Nidec Group, currently manufactures EV chargers that integrate ultra-fast charging technology with energy management systems (EMS) and energy storage systems (ESS) to provide safe, reliable, and cost-effective power across the globe. Nidec aims to use this same technology and product offering to grow in the eVTOL and unmanned aerial vehicle infrastructure markets, where demand for rapid, large-capacity charging is critical.