Israeli Aircraft Innovator Teaming Up With US Motor Maker

An Israeli manufacturer of innovative commercial aircraft is working with a leading American motor producer to create the motor for its two-seater eVTOL (Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing) craft. 

Pardes Hanna-based AIR and Nidec Motor Corporation of St. Louis say they will together design and develop a motor specifically for its AIR ONE mid-sized eVTOL, a move that marks a major step towards the first mass production of such craft. 

The collaboration is being supported by the clean energy program at the BIRD Foundation, which promotes joint Israeli-American innovation. AIR recently also announced its participation in a US Air Force program for eVTOL research and  development.  

“The motor represents the heart of any vehicle. It’s thrilling to partner with Nidec, a pillar of market excellence, to advance the production of AIR ONE,” said Rani Plaut, CEO and co-founder of AIR. 

“Not only does this partnership represent a major turning point for the AAM [advanced air mobility] industry as a whole, but it also specifically paves the way to fulfilling AIR’s mission and the dream of personal flight,” he said. 

“We’re excited to merge Nidec’s motor expertise and global manufacturing capabilities with AIR’s revolutionary eVTOL to deliver advanced motor capabilities to the individual consumers who wish to fly,” said Vincent Braley, CEO of Nidec Aerospace. 

“Nidec’s uncompromising quality standards and technical capabilities have been trusted implicitly for decades throughout industries, and we’re ecstatic to create an aerospace centric motor, designed for safety, that AIR ONE customers know they’ll be able to depend on.”