United invests $15 million in Eve Air Mobility air taxis

United (Chicago, Ill., U.S.) has announced a $15 million investment in electrical vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) company Eve Air Mobility (Melbourne, Fla., U.S.), and a conditional purchase agreement for 200 four-seat electric aircraft plus 200 options, expecting the first deliveries as early as 2026. Launched in 2020, Eve Air Mobility is an independent spin-off of Embraer’s U.S. subsidiary EmbraerX.

Under the terms of the agreement, the companies intend to work on future projects, including studies on the development, use and application of Eve’s aircraft and the urban air mobility (UAM) ecosystem.

This news follows an announcement in August 2022 that United made a pre-delivery payment for 100 production aircraft from from eVTOL producer Archer Aviation Inc. (Santa Clara, Calif., U.S.).

Eve’s design uses conventional fixed wings, rotors and pushers, giving it a lift-plus-cruise design to enable safety, efficiency, reliability and certifiability. With a range of 60 miles (100 kilometers), the vehicle is said to offer a sustainable commute and to reduce noise levels by 90% compared to current conventional aircraft. Eve is also creating a new air traffic management solution designed for the UAM industry to scale safely. This software is intended to perform at the same safety level as Embraer’s existing air traffic management software and expected to be a strategic asset to helping the entire industry grow.

“United has made early investments in several cutting-edge technologies at all levels of the supply chain, staking out our position as a leader in aviation sustainability and innovation,” says Michael Leskinen, president of United Airlines Ventures. “Today, United is making history again, by becoming the first major airline to publicly invest in two eVTOL companies. Our agreement with Eve highlights our confidence in the urban air mobility market and serves as another important benchmark toward our goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050 — without using traditional offsets. Together, we believe our suite of clean energy technologies will revolutionize air travel as we know it and serve as the catalyst for the aviation industry to move toward a sustainable future.”

“United’s investment in Eve reinforces the trust in our products and services and strengthens our position in the North American market,” says Andre Stein, co-CEO of Eve. “I am confident that our UAM agnostic solutions, coupled with the global know-how we have been developing at Eve and Embraer’s heritage, are the best fit for this initiative, giving United’s customers a quick, economical and sustainable way to get to its hub airports and commute in dense urban environments. It is an unparalleled opportunity to work with United to advance the U.S. UAM ecosystem, and we look forward to it.”

United reports that it was the first major U.S. airline to create a corporate venture fund, United Airlines Ventures (UAV), designed to support the company’s 100% green commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050 without the use of traditional offsets. Through UAV, United says it has led the industry in investments in eVTOL and electric aircraft, hydrogen fuel cell engines and sustainable aviation fuel. 

According to United, its investment in Eve was driven in part by Eve’s relationship with trusted aircraft manufacturer Embraer, which includes access to Embraer’s service centers, parts warehouses and field service technicians. Upon entry into service, United could have its entire eVTOL fleet serviced by Eve’s agnostic service and support operations.