UK-based engineering specialist Equipmake provided an advancedelectric propulsion unit (EPU) for Vertical Aerospace’s prototype eVTOL aircraft. Recently completing the first full-scale untethered eVTOL flights in the UK, the VX4 prototype features a totally bespoke EPU from Equipmake, combining a lightweight, power-dense electric motor with a high-performance inverter, designed, developed and manufactured by Equipmake at its base in Snetterton, UK.
Each motor uses Equipmake’s proprietary rotor design, with the magnets forming a Halbach array to maximize torque and minimize mass to deliver, while the inverter is matched to the motor for optimum power density.
The significant milestone of the first thrustborne flights—meaning the prototype eVTOL aircraft has been held up by the thrust of its vertical propulsion system—allows Vertical Aerospace to to progress on its mission to certify the VX4 by the end of 2026.
The aircraft is being designed to carry a pilot and four passengers and is expected to have a range of up to 100 miles with the ability to cruise at speeds of around 150 miles per hour. The project is the first time Equipmake’s electrification products and expertise have been applied to the rapidly growing eVTOL market, which is estimated to be worth $30.8 Billion globally by 2030.