The General Aviation Manufacturers Association has swelled its ranks with a slate of new eVTOL and sustainable aviation specialists, this time adding Electric Power Systems, Pivotal, Venus Aerospace, and VoltAero to their Electric Propulsion & Innovation Committee (EPIC) program.
The newest additions joined all hail from that nascent electrified aviation industry, with the first one, Electric Power Systems, coming out of Logan, Utah on scalable powertrains for aircraft. They've gone all-in on batteries, trying to carve out a solid position as the go-to for anyone who wants to turn a motor without burning something.
Pivotal (nee Opener) hails from Palo Alto, California, and has been hard at work bringing their Helix to market. Attendees of common GAMA haunts will note that Pivotal's BlackFly was one of the more visible eVTOL aircraft making the rounds, and actually offering demonstrations in recent years. Pivotal is one of those eVTOL developers who actually has an 'in' with the USG - today, they occupy a prime position as a contender in the USAF's AFWERX program, Agility Prime.
Venus Aerospace of Houston, Texas, is a relatively young company, only started in 2020 with a vision to "connect the world and enhance global safety,"... via hypersonics. It's a tall order to re-discover the magic of supersonic flight for the common man, but they're making a play for it. Venus Aerospace has shown off concepts that depict a very origami-like arrowhead of a plane that could "make one-hour global transport cost-effective." Exciting stuff.
VoltAero is the only foreign operator among the bunch, hailing from the Nouvelle Aquitaine region in France. Their successes so far have included the hybrid-electric Cassio family of aircraft, which are slated to see passenger loads from 5 to 12 once in production. Given the French government's interest in reestablishing a stronger foothold in aviation manufacturing, they're one up-and-comer to keep an eye on.
FMI: www.gama.aero
