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When the Embraer spin-off Eve Air Mobility announced this week it had selected Beta Technologies to supply the electric pusher motors for its production electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, some were surprised that the company would rely on a competing original equipment manufacturer for such a critical component. Though Beta is developing multiple business lines — including charging equipment, electric motors and conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) aircraft — its lift-plus-cruise eVTOL, Alia, can be seen as a direct competitor to the one Eve is developing.
According to Eve chief technology officer Luiz Valentini, the straightforward explanation for Beta’s selection as a supplier is that Beta offered the best product for Eve’s needs. In the emerging world of electric aviation, he said, the roles of startup and legacy companies alike are necessarily more fluid than they are in conventional aerospace, and Eve is open to leveraging opportunities where it finds them.
“We are really focused on looking for solutions — and that means components, systems, software, whatever — that make our vehicle the best vehicle that we can deliver to our customers,” Valentini told The Air Current in an interview. “So with that motivation in mind, we really look for everything that is available and that can help us achieve that goal.”
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