The companies recently signed a memorandum of understanding for technical, industrial, and commercial cooperation to advance electric aircraft propulsion systems.
The agreement seeks to combine efforts and expertise to offer innovative and competitive solutions to the market in relation to an optimized electric propulsion system. As reported by Safran in a statement, «this agreement follows a joint Boeing and Safran strategic investment in Electric Power Systems in 2019 that aimed to develop a highly automated manufacturing base capable of producing aviation energy storage systems on an unprecedented scale.»
Safran Electrical & Power has vast experience in electric motor development and power distribution, while EP Systems can bring state-of-the-art energy storage technologies. «The objective (of the agreement) is to lay the foundations for commercial, technological, service and industrial cooperation to bring a range of high value-added products to the market,» they added.
Hervé Blanc, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Safran Electrical & Power’s Energy Division, stated that «(the agreement) will enable us to take the next step in the electrification of light aviation and maintain our leadership in all the technologies required for electric and hybrid propulsion (…) «With this new component, we will be able to offer aircraft manufacturers customized products that meet all their needs, from the supply of individual equipment within electrical systems to the delivery of complete turnkey electrical systems.»
Nathan Millecam, CEO of Electric Power Systems, said the company is «excited to formalize this cooperation to explore new, more integrated propulsion offerings that can further improve performance, mitigate certification risk and accelerate time to market for many of our joint customer programs».
