Boeing, Safran Invest in Battery Provider for Electric Airplanes

Boeing and European aero-engine maker, Safran yesterday announced a joint investment in Electric Power Systems (EPS), a company offering lightweight energy storage products for electric airplanes.

The joint investment will help EPS develop an industrial base to produce aviation-grade energy storage systems at an unprecedented scale. The investment will also support the advancement of technologies to further reduce the costs of battery systems for electric airplanes.

"EPS' battery technology meets Boeing's high standards of safety and can enable significant cost savings for customers," said Brian Schettler, managing director of Boeing HorizonX Ventures. "This strategic investment accelerates the development of clean, quiet and safe urban air mobility solutions."

"Safran will collaborate with EPS to offer our customers electric or hybrid-electric propulsion systems with a level of performance that sets us apart from competition," said Alain Sauret, Safran Electrical & Power President.

Boeing HorizonX Ventures and Safran Corporate Ventures jointly invested in EPS during this Series A funding round. EPS is the second advanced battery solutions company to join the Boeing HorizonX Ventures investment portfolio, following an investment in Cuberg, an advanced lithium metal battery technology company, in 2018. Safran Ventures also recently invested in OXIS Energy, a UK-based leader in lithium-sulfur cell technology for high energy density battery systems.

"Electrification of flight has the potential to fundamentally change how goods, services and humans connect. We are thrilled to work with visionary companies such as Boeing and Safran to further develop and field advanced energy solutions that can meet real world mission demands," said Nathan Millecam, EPS chief executive officer.

EPS is a privately held aerospace company based in Utah, USA leading in advanced energy storage systems comprised of cells, power electronics, controls, software and thermal management systems. The company supports a host of electric and hybrid electric airplanes such as the NASA X-57, Bye eFlyer and Bell Nexus