By Gabriel Araujo
SAO PAULO, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Eve, the electric aircraft unit of Embraer, said on Friday its full-scale "flying car" prototype has completed its first flight, marking a key milestone toward certification.
Eve is among several firms developing battery-powered aircraft capable of vertical take-off and landing for short urban trips, a sector analysts see as crucial for Embraer's future growth.
The company, which has amassed almost 3,000 pre-orders for its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft ahead of production, expects type certification, first deliveries and entry into service in 2027, a year later than initially planned.
The inaugural flight at Embraer's Gaviao Peixoto plant kicks off Eve's flight test phase, with "hundreds of flights" scheduled next year to support certification.
The test validated aircraft architecture, fly-by-wire controls and integrated propulsion, Eve said. The timing was in line with its previously announced plan to complete the first flight in late 2025 or early 2026.
"The prototype behaved as predicted by our models," said Eve's Chief Technology Officer, Luiz Valentini. "With these data points, we will expand the envelope and progress toward transition to wingborne flight in a disciplined manner."
Eve plans to build six conforming prototypes for the test campaign.
The head of Brazil's civil aviation regulator ANAC told Reuters earlier this year he saw 2027 as the realistic timeframe for certification of the aircraft, which he described as the regulator's top priority.
Eve debuted on the New York Stock Exchange in 2022 and this year raised additional funds from Brazil's state development bank BNDES and Embraer. Other investors include United Airlines, BAE Systems, Nidec, Thales and Acciona.
(Reporting by Gabriel Araujo; Editing by Louise Heavens)
