eVTOLs, eHybrids, and eChoppers, Oh My! (Part 2): Electric Propulsion Goes Mainstream

The Axe is one of several commercial eVTOL designs that are based on this configuration, the most notable being Pivotal Aero’s Helix, a lighter-weight, $190K, single-place runabout. It’s designed to operate under the FAA’s part-103 regulations for ultralight aircraft. The company already has several early production vehicles in the field.

While the Helix has attracted some interest for public safety and military applications, the two-place Axe’s larger payload capacity, higher top speed, and longer range allow it to support a greater range of real-world missions. And, unlike the Axe, the Helix can only take off and land vertically in its angled VTOL attitude because it lacks the landing gear needed to operate from short runways in STOL mode.

With preparations underway to begin production in 2027, a base model Axe is expected to cost around $400,000, only slightly more than Diamond’s DA-20, Flight Design’s CTLSi, and several other small two-place fixed wing aircraft.

An Electric Revolution in Progress

In addition to looking at some very cool planes, my conversations with exhibitors at Sun n’ Fun revealed that eVTOLs are beneficiaries of numerous technical developments, leading to all kinds of electric aviation being more practical, affordable, and useful for a growing number of applications.

I learned that, in addition to the dozens of startups entering the market, several major aerospace manufacturers are leveraging advances in motor design and drive electronics originally developed for EVs, as well as steady improvements in battery capacity, to create modular powerplants that can be mass-produced and used in a variety of fixed- and rotary-wing applications.

One notable example is aerospace giant Safran, which has been an early mover in this space. The company is already providing motors and battery subsystems to several electric aircraft manufacturers, as well as small auxiliary powerplants for use in hybrid-electric planes. This includes H55, a leading developer of electric propulsion systems, which announced that Safran’s ENGINeUS smart motor would form the foundation of the powerplant they will provide for Bristell’s B23e electric trainer. You can read the full report on the B23e and its electric propulsion system, published in May of 2026, by clicking here.

Meanwhile magniX, which gained notoriety for its early work in electric alternatives to Pratt & Whitney’s venerable PT-6 turbine engines, recently introduced two new series of integrated powertrains. They were developed as “near-plug-and-play” replacements for several commonly used internal-combustion powerplants used in many existing fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft.

Both new powerplants are modular, consisting of an FAA-rated redundant battery set, a power distribution unit (PDU), and a lightweight electric motor that’s paired with a set of redundant drive electronics (Fig. 5). The Sampson battery set, which made its debut in mid-2024, offers an energy density of 300 Wh/kg and a service life of more than 1,000 full-depth discharge cycles. magniX said that later models will offer higher energy densities as new battery chemistries are fully tested and certified to meet the company’s extensive quality, reliability and safety standards.