Safran ENGINeUS to power prototype Ascendance Atea
French hybrid-electric VTOL developer Ascendance has selected Safran Electrical & Power’s newly-certified ENGINeUS electric motor for its upcoming ‘Atea’ flying demonstrator, which is already under construction.
Having completed a number of flight test campaigns with various subscale demonstrators, Ascendance’s next milestone is to start flying its full-scale aircraft – a mission it intends to achieve with the help of two Safran ENGINeUS electric motors, providing horizontal propulsion and each developing in excess of 100kW.
“With its power and control electronics integrated directly into the motor and its optimised air cooling system, ENGINeUS meets Atea’s requirements,” explained the powerplant producer. “This collaboration with Safran Electrical & Power, a leading industry player, is an opportunity for us to benefit from their expertise in performance and safety, as well as the performance of the ENGINeUS motors,” added Ascendance CEO Jean-Christophe Lambert.
Safran describes its ENGINeUS 100 as “the first electric motor certified to power new air mobility” and one which is designed to “meet the varying requirements of the new mobility market”. Certified by EASA last month, it will be mass-produced from 2026. Alongside Ascendance’s prototype, it is also projected to power Aura Aero’s Integral E, Bye Aerospace’s eFlyer, Diamond Aircraft’s eDA40, and Volt Aero’s Cassio 330 prototype.
In October 2024, 18 months since raising more than $50 million in its Series A investment round, Ascendance noted that “lifesize test flights [of Atea] are planned for 2025”. At the time, Lambert added that “for Ascendance, hybrid-electric was a commitment from day one,” given current limitations in all-electric range and energy density.
The Atea features a pair of fixed wings housing a total of eight ducted fans, fixed tricycle landing gear, and a high T-tail. Ascendance estimates its concept will offer up to 80% carbon emissions reduction, 50% less operating costs and 75% less noise than an aircraft running on conventional fuel, with a useful range of 400km. The aircraft will be equipped with ‘Sterna’, Atea’s patented modular hybrid propulsion system.
In January this year, Ascendance also renewed its ongoing partnership (established in 2021) with Capgemini Engineering “to help the start-up pivot from technology demonstrations to industrialisation, to accelerate sustainable aviation at scale,” explained Ascendance.
