Hitachi Energy and Eve Air Mobility have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop the electrical infrastructure required for urban air mobility. The partnership will focus on grid integration, high-power charging and energy storage solutions for vertiports, with the aim of enabling urban air mobility (UAM) at scale from 2028.Image: HitachiAs part of the collaboration, the companies will evaluate the electrical requirements for vertiports, including grid capacity, power availability and fast-charging infrastructure capable of supporting frequent aircraft turnaround. Hitachi Energy will contribute its Grid-eMotion charging platform, which the company says has already been deployed globally and adapted for the requirements of eVTOL operations.According to Hitachi Energy, the system is designed to optimise power usage while providing reliable charging performance for high-demand applications.The partners will also investigate how batteries removed from aircraft at the end of their aviation service life could be repurposed as stationary energy storage systems. In addition, the agreement covers joint business modelling and coordinated customer engagement to support the global deployment of urban air mobility infrastructure.The agreement brings together Hitachi Energy’s expertise in electrification, power electronics and grid infrastructure with Eve Air Mobility’s development of battery-electric aircraft and related UAM services. Eve, which is backed by Embraer, is targeting certification and the start of commercial operations for its eVTOL aircraft in 2028.“Building a successful urban air mobility ecosystem requires collaboration across industries. As the sector moves toward commercial operations, it is increasingly important to understand how charging infrastructure, grid connectivity and vertiport energy requirements will be integrated into existing networks,” said Johann Bordais, Chief Executive Officer of Eve Air Mobility. “The collaboration with Hitachi Energy supports our ongoing efforts to help enable the infrastructure needed for safe, efficient, scalable and economically sustainable eVTOL operations worldwide.”“With more than a century of innovation, we are addressing the most urgent energy challenge of our time, balancing soaring electricity demand while decarbonising the power system,” Marco Berardi, Head of Grid & Power Quality Solutions and Service at Hitachi Energy, added. “We firmly believe that no single company or country can make the energy transition happen on its own, so we are thrilled to collaborate with Eve to jointly accelerate the decarbonisation of urban air mobility.”According to Eve Air Mobility, the company currently holds letters of intent covering approximately 2,700 eVTOL aircraft from customers worldwide. Hitachi Energy, meanwhile, says it is investing more than $9 billion in research and development, manufacturing capacity, engineering and strategic collaborations to support growing demand for electrification and grid modernisation.hitachienergy.com