Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Japan’s eVTOL (flying car) industry gained serious firepower this week as it was revealed that the Nidec Corporation, the nation’s leading engine specialist, will start building eVTOL propulsion systems.
Nidec is setting up a subsidiary in the United States that will be named Nidec Aerospace. The Kyoto-based firm is taking a 51% stake in this subsidiary, with Brazil’s regional jet manufacturer Embraer becoming the minority partner.
Embraer, through its own subsidiary Eve Air Mobility, is developing its own original eVTOL model, and it is now planned that Eve will become the first customer for the engines produced by the Nidec Aerospace joint venture.
Nidec Aerospace will have its headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri, and production facilities for the electric engines in Mexico and Brazil.
The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“The joint venture is a natural extension of both companies’ respective and continual investments in green technologies across multiple industries to accelerate global carbon neutrality,” commented Nidec Senior Vice President and President of the Motion & Energy Business Unit Michael Briggs. “We are proud to be partnered with Embraer, and are confident that Nidec Aerospace will spearhead the electrification of aircraft with our shared drive, complementary expertise, and wide breadth of technical and manufacturing capabilities.”
Nidec’s legendary Chairman and CEO Shigenobu Nagamori noted at this week’s annual meeting that for the venture to succeed “certification is the most important thing,” pointing to the fact that no eVTOL has yet been authorized to take to the skies and to transport passengers.
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