Eve's first 'flying car' plant to be located in Taubate, Brazil

Eve Holding

20/07/2023 09:00

By Gabriel Araujo
       SAO PAULO, July 20 (Reuters) - Electric aircraft maker
Eve  EVEX.N  said on Thursday that its first production facility
will be located in Taubate, Brazil,  capitalizing on the town's
logistical advantages and proximity to parent company Embraer
 EMBR3.SA .
    Eve expects to start commercial operations of its electric
vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) in 2026, and
recently announced key equipment suppliers for the project. 
    Taubate is located near Embraer's headquarters in the
neighboring town of Sao Jose dos Campos, Eve said. Taubate is
130 kilometers (80 miles) from Brazil's biggest city, Sao Paulo.
    The manufacturing plant will be situated on a designated
portion of land within an existing Embraer unit, which will be
expanded, Eve said in a statement.
    "When we began our search for a manufacturing location to
build our eVTOL, we wanted to reimagine how the aircraft could
be built using the latest technology and manufacturing
processes, coupled with other aspects such as supply chain and
logistics," Eve co-CEO Andre Stein said.
    The company touted the site's proximity to a railroad and
two key highways, as well as proximity to Embraer's headquarters
and its own engineering and human resources team, as enhancing
its agility and competitiveness.
    Eve is seen as a leader in the nascent eVTOL industry,
having amassed an order backlog of up to 2,850 aircraft from
clients in countries such as Brazil, the United States, India
and France before starting production.
    Eve, on its website, says its eVTOL will have a range of 60
miles and carry four passengers plus a pilot, and when
autonomous flight is certified it will take up to six
passengers.
    The development of its eVTOL is backed by investors such as
United Airlines  UAL.O , Rolls-Royce  RR.L  and BAE Systems
 BAES.L .
    Eve did not disclose how much it expects to invest in the
new production facility or when the plant is expected to start
operating. It said the move was still subject to final approval
from authorities.

 (Reporting by Gabriel Araujo; Editing by Leslie Adler)
 ((Gabriel.Araujo2@thomsonreuters.com; +55 11 5047-3352;))