BRISTOL, England, July 24 — Vertical Aerospace (NYSE: EVTL), a global aerospace and technology company pioneering electric aviation, today announced it will lead the development of next-generation high-power charging and thermal management technology through the UK Government-backed ECLiPSE (Electrified Charging & Liquid-cooling Provision for Support of E-flights) programme.
As the electric aviation industry moves toward commercial operations, charging infrastructure is emerging as one of the critical technologies needed to make high-frequency electric flight commercially and financially viable.
Led by Vertical in partnership with the University of Bath along with engineering technology and consulting firm InnCat Ltd., the ECLiPSE project will develop innovative charging and liquid-cooling technologies designed to reduce infrastructure costs, accelerate site integration and enable faster aircraft turnaround, helping unlock the next generation of zero-emission aviation.
Announced at the Farnborough International Airshow, during which Vertical demonstrated the show’s first eVTOL flights, the project has been selected for funding through the UK Department for Transport’s Zero Emission Flight Demonstrator programme and represents a total investment of approximately £3.4 million, including up to £1.75 million in government funding, subject to completion of the grant agreement. The funding forms part of a wider UK Government £43 million package for next-generation aviation technology.
In a major vote of confidence for the technology, new government-backed research from the University of Birmingham has recently found that flying taxis could improve connectivity, support economic growth and help deliver cleaner aviation across the UK.
Stuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical Aerospace, said: “To unlock commercial electric aviation, the industry needs the infrastructure that allows aircraft to recharge quickly, operate efficiently and scale economically. Through ECLiPSE, we’re making electric flight operational and commercially viable, while strengthening the UK’s leadership in next-generation aerospace innovation.”
Heidi Alexander, Secretary of State for Transport, said: “The next generation of flight is taking off in the UK. By powering up electric and hydrogen-powered planes, we’re bringing passengers closer to the flights of the future – while creating skilled jobs, backing UK businesses and spreading economic growth to all 4 corners of the country. We’re working hand in hand with industry to cut emissions, drive innovation, and ensure the UK remains one of the best places in the world to build, test and fly the aircraft of tomorrow.”
The ECLiPSE project will integrate advanced high-power charging and thermal management technologies that are expected to improve charging performance while reducing system size, installation complexity and long-term operating costs. By increasing charging power and improving thermal management, the programme aims to make electric aircraft operations more commercially attractive for operators while accelerating deployment of charging infrastructure.
The technologies developed through the programme are also expected to have applications across the wider transport sector as electrification continues to expand.
The announcement builds on longstanding UK Government support for Vertical through programmes including the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), the Future Flight Challenge and now the Department for Transport’s Zero Emission Flight Demonstrator programme. In addition, Vertical announced this week that they are in advanced discussions with the UK Government on a broad package to anchor the first of Vertical’s planned global full-production sites in the UK. The package includes a further grant of up to £10 million ($13.5 million), bringing total direct UK Government funding support to approximately £48 million ($64 million).
Vertical is developing not only its Valo electric aircraft but also helping build the broader ecosystem required to support commercial electric flight. Alongside recent strategic agreements across aircraft systems, hybrid-electric propulsion and defence applications, the ECLiPSE programme expands Vertical’s capabilities into charging infrastructure, an increasingly important element of the future advanced air mobility value chain.