ePropelled has opened an R&D center in Coventry, UK to help scale up production of propulsion systems for drones to more than a million annually by 2027.
The Global Innovation Centre, which was officially opened on March 20, strengthens the company’s capabilities in electric and hybrid propulsion, high efficiency motors and intelligent energy management systems.
ePropelled, which was founded in 2018 in the USA, designs and manufactures motor controllers, generators, and power management systems for unmanned air, ground and marine vehicles.
The company has experienced rapid growth thanks to the booming market in drones for defense and civil applications and today employs around 80 at sites in the USA, UK and India.
Industry analysts predict the global unmanned systems market will grow from around US$26.6 billion in 2024 toward an estimated US$48.3 billion by 2030.
Nick Grewal, founder, chair and CEO of ePropelled, said, “In the past three years, uncrewed systems and solutions have moved from the periphery of global defence and industrial strategy to the very centre. We know we have the proven technology to transform this market and now we must scale it.
“Today we produce around one hundred to one hundred and fifty thousand systems a year. By 2027 we intend to exceed one million systems annually. That is the scale required for sovereign capability, affordability and global competitiveness. Our Midlands-based Global Innovation Centre is a critical step in that journey.”
The company’s motors and controllers are built on a proprietary unified architecture to facilitate range upgrades and connectivity. They are suitable for use in lightweight and high-power UAVs, including the Sparrow Series (160Kv to 7000W), the Falcon range (iAPM600 delivering up to 10kW), and the Hercules hybrid starter generator systems (up to 14kW).
The company is working with Germany-based Hirth Engines on hybrid propulsion solutions that combine lightweight two-stroke engines with intelligent electric power systems, delivering extended endurance, improved efficiency and enhanced mission resilience.
