Eve Air Mobility, the Embraer-backed urban air mobility company, said it has successfully closed out the hover and low-speed flight phase of its full-scale eVTOL engineering prototype campaign, setting up transition flight tests starting in the summer of 2026.
What Happened In The Hover Block
In a May 21, 2026 statement, Eve said the engineering prototype executed more than 100 flight test points during the hover and low-speed flight block, including the first demonstrations of autoland and the prototype's simplified fly-by-wire mode. The aircraft reached an altitude of 215 feet above ground level and flew for as long as 3 minutes and 48 seconds in continuous flight.
The prototype, built on Eve's "lift-plus-cruise" configuration with eight dedicated lift rotors and a pusher propeller, is a key data source for the certification program for Eve's four-passenger commercial eVTOL design.
Next: Transition Flight Tests
Over the next several weeks the aircraft will undergo planned ground tests to prepare for the transition flights block, expected to start in July or August. Transition flight is the most technically demanding regime for any eVTOL: the aircraft must move from rotor-borne hover into wing-borne forward flight while smoothly redistributing thrust and managing aerodynamic loads.
Eve has previously said it is targeting entry into service in the late 2020s, with launch orders from operators including Embraer's own future operations, BLADE, Falcon Aviation, GlobalX and Helisul.
The Broader eVTOL Race
Eve's progress comes as the global eVTOL race accelerates: the FAA recently approved a pilot program enabling electric air-taxi flights across 26 states, and competitors including Joby, Archer, Vertical Aerospace and Honda are pushing through their own flight test campaigns. Eve's strong tie to Embraer's aerospace manufacturing base remains one of its differentiators in a sector where many startups are still scaling industrial capacity.
Investors will be watching the transition flight tests as a critical de-risking milestone before Eve moves into its full certification program with Brazilian regulator ANAC and the FAA.
Reporting based on coverage from Eve Air Mobility's May 21, 2026 announcement and AeroTime.