Through this collaboration, Aura Aero will be able to develop its range of electric aircraft and thus reach a new stage in the creation of a low-carbon aviation.

Based near Grenoble, Verkor is a young French company employing 25 people, aimed at creating a gigafactory in the south of France by 2024 for the production of lithium/ion battery cells for electric automobile vehicles. Already supported by major groups such as InnoEnergy, Schneider Electric, IDEC and Capgemini, Verkor should open its pilot-line in 2022.

By bringing together their competence and expertise, these two French companies, both innovative and environment-conscious, hope to industrialise electric propulsion in aviation for the first time. This collaboration will help optimise lithium/ion cells for aeronautics, a very much expected revolution, which has started several years ago in the automobile sector.

Jérémy Caussade, CEO and co-founder of Aura Aero, said: “Verkor is based on the same values as Aura Aero: innovation, traceability and respect of the environment. By bringing together our technologies, we will be able to launch the industrialization of our electric aircraft, while Verkor will gain access to the aeronautical market. It is a win-win partnership, and most of all it is a new step towards the aviation of tomorrow, low-carbon aviation.”

Benoit Lemaignan, CEO and co-founder of Verkor, added: “The main intention of Verkor is to reduce the impact on climate of mobilities and their transitions. This partnership with Aura Aero is the foundation stone in building an electric aeronautical industry, which is one of today’s challenges in order to decarbonize air transport. From my experience at Airbus, I have a good knowledge of the aeronautical industry and I am delighted that Verkor can be one of the actors of this technological evolution.”

www.aura-aero.com

www.verkor.com