Eve Mobility, the electric takeoff and landing (eVTOL) unit of Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer, says it has passed a pair of milestones in its push to launch next-generation air taxi services, including testing vital components of its future prototype plane.

Though considered one of the front-line developers of air taxi and other urban air mobility aircraft, Eve is one of several leading eVTOL companies that has yet to produce a full prototype of its future plan. Word that it is now advancing through testing of critical components may therefore be interpreted as an indication a full-scale craft is gradually coming together.

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Eve said it completed trials of propeller unit for its future eVTOL air taxis, with the read-outs on aerodynamic performance, vibration, load, and sound profiles being readied for use in modeling and wider craft development. Several conceptual variations of components were tested to measure – among other considerations – which turned in the best energy efficiency and projected operating cost performances.

In addition to that, Eve said it had started to put vertical lift rotors designed for eVTOL operation through testing aboard a custom truck-mounted platform it designed for the purpose. Forward movement involved in those outings allows measurement of rotor effectiveness during the transition phase of air taxi flight. 

The company has said it is working on a “lift+cruise” configuration that sets aside rotors exclusively for vertical flight, and uses fixed wings to fly while cruising. That lack of pivoting action that most eVTOLs rely on, Eve says, allows an economy of movement reducing wear, tear, and maintenance of its air taxis.

Based on that work, Eve believes it can wrap up testing on the main elements now under examination to produce a full-scale eVTOL prototype during the second half of this year. That is expected to all for a full range of trials and certification work to be completed in time for its 2026 goal of launching air taxi services.

“We are very pleased with our program development activities to date, and (are) making very good progress as we move toward the selection of primary suppliers and finalize the definition of our aircraft systems architecture,” said Alice Altissimo, Eve’s vice president of program management and operation. “We continue to invest, and our team is working hard with the goal of developing a mature aircraft for certification and entry into service in 2026.”

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Elsewhere, Eve announced it had finished work on its prototype urban air traffic management system, which incorporates the concepts and services required to enable air taxi services of the near future. As part of that, the company tested the platform using helicopters a proxies for eVTOLs, in combination with simulated ground, infrastructure, equipment, and passenger elements.