Just as everyone was getting mildly comfortable with all things electric-vehicle related, prepare for your minds to be bent in a completely different direction.
Reuters reports that electric aircraft maker Eve and Blade Air Mobility are expanding their partnership to integrate Eve's upcoming flying car into Blade's European route network, starting with France.
The deal follows similar agreements between the firms, which are currently participating in the Paris Airshow, to use Eve's electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOLs) in India and the United States.
Eve is controlled by Brazilian plane maker, Embraer, and expects to start commercial operations of its vehicle in 2026.
Eve and Blade said in a statement that under their new memorandum of understanding, Blade would focus on developing practical applications for air mobility, including identifying future routes in France and other European countries.
They did not say if the deal would involve new eVTOL purchases by Blade, whose current European operations include flying conventional helicopters between Nice and Monaco.
Eve and Blade last year agreed to deploy up to 200 electric aircraft in India, after also signing a letter of intent for operations in the US, where Eve expects to provide up to 60 vehicles a year.
"Extending our partnership with Eve underscores Blade's commitment to leading the transition from conventional to electric vertical aircraft," Blade Chief Executive Officer, Rob Wiesenthal, says.
Eve holds a backlog of nearly 2 800 orders before starting production, with development backed by investors such as United Airlines and Rolls-Royce.
The firm recently announced the first equipment suppliers for its eVTOLs and expects to start building its first full-scale prototype in the second half. Additional testing is planned for 2024.
Eve CEO, André Stein, said he expected the extended partnership with Blade to allow the companies to combine expertise and resources to make travel more accessible and drive environmental improvements.
Mercedes-Benz has successfully fended off a high-profile patent infringement claim, after a US court dismissed allegations brought by The Phelan Group with prejudice, ending a dispute that had lingered for months.
As South Africa forges ahead in the automotive landscape, a notable divide has emerged in the growing realm of new-energy vehicles.
Volkswagen is accelerating its African ambitions, with Egypt emerging as the latest contender for a major manufacturing role.
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Human beings have an innate inner drive to be autonomous, self-determined, and connected to one another. And when that drive is liberated, people achieve more and live richer lives.
Daniel Pink
As South Africa forges ahead in the automotive landscape, a notable divide has emerged in the growing realm of new-energy vehicles.
Kenya’s automotive industry recently made headlines when Tad Motors unveiled its first range of locally assembled electric vehicles (EVs), igniting discussions across Africa about the continent’s growing capacity for indigenous mobility solutions.
Volvo Trucks South Africa delivered the first of nine new electric trucks that will be added to DSV’s (an international supply-chain operator) local fleet over the next few months.
