AVL, partners highlight electric mobility in aerospace

AVL, a technology mobility pioneer since 1948, is now rising from the ground to technologies in air and space, as demonstrated at a press conference at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada. Partners Northrop Grumman and Eviation highlighted some of their latest air and space technologies developed jointly with AVL.

Former astronaut Rick Mastracchio, director of business development at Northrop Grumman, highlighted Northrop Grumman's Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) concept. The LTV, part of NASA's Artemis program to return astronauts to the moon, will be an essential vehicle to transport astronauts and experiments on the lunar surface. AVL supports electric vehicle design and autonomy systems for Northrup Grumman's LTV concept.

"Our vehicle design will offer sustainable, flexible, and affordable logistics support for enhanced human and robotic exploration of the lunar surface and, ultimately, Mars," Mastracchio said. "Our partnership with AVL will help deliver lunar mobility for future generations."

Eviation Aircraft demonstrated the future of aviation in September 2022 with the first flight of Alice, an all-electric commuter eCTOL (electric conventional take-off and landing) aircraft. Alice is a catalyst to restoring short-haul flights, which have historically contributed more carbon emissions than long-haul flights. Alice is positioned to enable regional air travel that is carbon-free and economically viable. "We value AVL's contributions to the energy storage systems for the first flight of Alice as we lead the industry into the electric age of aviation," said Gregory Davis, president and CEO of Eviation.

"For years AVL has been leading the charge in automotive and ground mobility," said Stephan Tarnutzer, president of AVL Mobility Technologies Inc. "What we are learning with our projects in air and space is pushing the envelope even further. Imagine the energy needed to power an aircraft during takeoff or the thermal management needed to optimize a battery system in the extreme climate of outer space. AVL is able to take these extreme use cases and apply the lessons learned to other mobility sectors, which in turn leads to new applications and more efficient solutions."

With more than 10,700 employees at more than 90 locations and with 45 Tech and Engineering Centers worldwide, AVL provides vehicle architectures and platform solutions including the impact of new propulsion systems and energy carriers. As a global technology provider, AVL's offerings range from simulation, virtualization, and test automation from product development to vehicle software.