Vertical Aerospace, the British company developing an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, has said it will head up work on high-power charging technology and thermal management through the UK Government-backed programme Electrified Charging & Liquid-cooling Provision for Support of E-flights (ECLiPSE).
As electric aviation moves closer to commercial operations, charging infrastructure is increasingly being recognised as one of the essential technologies needed to make high-frequency electric flying commercially and financially workable.
ECLiPSE programme partners led by Vertical Aerospace
With Vertical leading the consortium alongside the University of Bath and engineering technology and consultancy firm InnCat, the ECLiPSE project will develop new charging and liquid-cooling technologies intended to lower infrastructure costs, speed up site integration and enable quicker aircraft turnarounds-supporting the next wave of zero-emission aviation.
The project was announced at the Farnborough International Airshow, where Vertical carried out the show’s first eVTOL flights.
Funding through the UK Zero Emission Flight Demonstrator
ECLiPSE has been selected for funding via the UK Department for Transport’s Zero Emission Flight Demonstrator programme. It represents a total investment of around £3.4 million, including up to £1.75 million of government funding, subject to the grant agreement being finalised. This funding sits within a wider UK Government package worth £43 million aimed at next-generation aviation technology.
In a further endorsement of the technology, a recent government-backed study by the University of Birmingham found that air taxis could improve connectivity, support economic growth and help deliver cleaner aviation across the UK.
Stuart Simpson, Chief Executive Officer of Vertical Aerospace, said: “To unlock commercial electric aviation, the industry needs the infrastructure that enables aircraft to recharge quickly, operate efficiently and scale economically. Through ECLiPSE, we are making electric flight operationally 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 planes with electricity and hydrogen, we are bringing passengers closer to the flights of the future, while creating skilled jobs, backing UK businesses and spreading economic growth to all four corners of the country. We are working side by side 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.”
High-power charging and liquid-cooling for electric aircraft operations
ECLiPSE will bring together advanced high-power charging and thermal-management technologies designed to improve charging performance while reducing system size, installation complexity and long-term operating costs. By increasing charging power and strengthening thermal management, the programme is intended to make electric aircraft operations more commercially attractive for operators while accelerating the roll-out of charging infrastructure.
The technologies created through the programme are also expected to be applicable across the broader transport sector as electrification continues to expand.
The announcement builds on long-standing UK Government support for Vertical via initiatives including the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), the Future Flight Challenge and, now, the Department for Transport’s Zero Emission Flight Demonstrator programme.
Separately, Vertical said it is in advanced discussions with the UK Government over a wider package to secure the first of its planned global full-scale production sites in the UK. That package includes an additional grant of up to £10 million, taking total direct UK Government funding support to approximately £48 million.
Valo eVTOL and the wider ecosystem
Vertical is developing not only its Valo electric aircraft, but also contributing to the broader ecosystem needed to support commercial electric flight. Alongside recent strategic agreements covering aircraft systems, hybrid-electric propulsion and defence applications, the ECLiPSE programme expands Vertical’s capabilities into charging infrastructure-an increasingly significant part of the future advanced air mobility value chain.
Vertical has around 1,500 pre-orders for the Valo aircraft, with customers across four continents, including American Airlines, Avolon, Bristow, GOL Linhas Aéreas and Japan Airlines.
Information from Vertical Aerospace
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