Eve advances eVTOL flight testing with prototype demo

Source | Eve Air Mobility

On March 25, Eve Air Mobility (São José dos Campos, Brazil) announced it successfully conducted flight of its full-scale engineering electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) prototype at Embraer’s test facility in Gavião Peixoto, Brazil.

Eve continues advancing its flight test campaign; its engineering prototype having completed 35 flights and accumulated nearly 1.5 hours of total flight time since its first flight in December 2025. The aircraft has reached an altitude of 140 feet above ground level (AGL), equivalent to 43 meters, establishing new program milestones and demonstrating consistent flight behavior under tested conditions, including maneuvers with simultaneous inputs across three axes.

Preliminary results indicate efficiency gains, with propulsion and battery performance above initial expectations, while noise levels remain within projections, significantly lower than those of conventional helicopters.

Flights conducted to date have focused on low-speed operations (up to 15 knots, approximately 28 kilometers/hour), enabling validation of control laws, rotor aerodynamic efficiency, thermal behavior and the propulsion model. Eve continues to advance its campaign, expanding the flight envelope and testing at higher speeds.

“We are advancing with discipline and consistency in our flight test campaign, reducing risk and building the foundation for future certification flights,” says Johann Bordais, CEO of Eve. 

In addition to flight tests, Eve has completed ground testing and related activities, including sensor calibration for measuring aerodynamic loads during flight. These efforts support the expansion of the aircraft’s flight envelope, enabling flights of up to 30 knots (approximately 56 kilometers/hour) in the coming days.

Certification of the aircraft remains subject to the successful completion of technical milestones and approval by the relevant regulatory authorities.

Eve is also supported by BNDES, which has provided more than BRL 1.4 billion (~$271 million) in financing since 2022, and by Finep (the Brazilian Funding Authority for Studies and Projects), which has approved up to BRL 90 million (~$17 million) in grants to accelerate Eve’s digital innovation and sustainable aviation initiatives.

The company continues to advance its portfolio of advanced air mobility solutions, including Eve Vector, its urban air traffic management software, and Eve TechCare, its aftermarket services and operational support platform, while actively engaging with regulators and public-private initiatives to foster the ecosystem required for entry into service and long-term market scalability.