ePropelled, a Laconia, New Hampshire-based specialist in intelligent electric propulsion for uncrewed aerial, ground, and marine systems, has secured $60 million in U.S. government funding to quadruple its domestic drone-motor manufacturing capacity. The award comes through the Department of War's Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) program and will expand ePropelled's production footprint from 20,000 to 80,000 square feet, adding automated motor lines, controller assembly, and integrated environmental testing.
Fourfold capacity, all NDAA-compliant
Every ePropelled product is designed as a dual-use technology, and the company says all assembly, coil winding, and testing already happen in-house at its NDAA-compliant Laconia facility, with no offshoring. With 47 patents and R&D outposts in the U.K. and India, ePropelled builds three product lines — the Hercules Series of hybrid-UAV starter generators, the high-power Falcon Series motors and controllers for multi-role drones, and the lightweight Sparrow Series for small tactical FPVs.
Filling a critical drone supply-chain gap
The IBAS grant sits alongside a wave of U.S. policy moves to onshore attritable-drone components after years of dependence on Chinese motors and ESCs. It follows the Pentagon's Drone Dominance Program, the Department of Homeland Security's $1.5 billion counter-UAS IDIQ, and the $820 million OSC loan to PDW for U.S. drone-component manufacturing. "As demand for high-performance uncrewed systems continues to accelerate, expanding our capacity ensures we can deliver reliable, scalable, and secure propulsion produced in the United States," CEO Nick Grewal said.
What the new plant unlocks
The expanded facility will support production of motors, electronic speed controllers, and complete propulsion systems for aerospace, defense, industrial, and commercial customers, and is expected to add skilled manufacturing and engineering jobs in New Hampshire. ePropelled says the added lines will let it move faster on government and allied programs while also serving commercial drone OEMs pushing into logistics, agriculture, public safety, and inspection missions. Related coverage: Neros' $250M Series C for U.S. FPV drone manufacturing.
Reporting based on coverage from ePropelled, UAS Weekly, DroneLife, and EDR Magazine.