Bristol-based Sora Aviation has successfully built its first battery module prototypes for the S-1 eVTOL aircraft, marking a significant milestone in its mission to democratise aerial mobility. This achievement was made possible through a strategic collaboration with TWI, which provided advanced ultrasonic and laser welding expertise, and funding support from Innovate UK.

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The S-1’s fully electric powertrain reduces system complexity and lowers aircraft operating costs while delivering zero-emissions for short-range urban flights. Sora Aviation’s proprietary battery pack design and aircraft integration technologies achieve industry-leading specific energy at the pack level, utilising existing in-production cells.

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Furqan, CEO of Sora Aviation, stated: “Integrating reliable, lightweight and scalable battery pack technologies is essential to realising our vision of cost-effective and sustainable air mobility. Our partnership with TWI on ultrasonic and laser welding ensures that manufacturability and industrialisation of our battery packs are embedded early in the design process.”

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The down-selected laser welding process carried out by TWI ensures strong, high-integrity connections between battery cells, enhancing both safety and durability of the modules while maintaining a lightweight design essential for aviation applications.

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Dr Abbasi Gandhi, Principal Project Leader and Project Manager for this collaboration at TWI, added: “We are proud to collaborate with Sora Aviation in advancing battery technology for electric aviation. Our expertise in ultrasonic and laser welding has contributed to the safety and reliability of these battery modules, which are crucial for the next generation of sustainable air mobility.”

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Necdet Capar, Senior Project Leader at TWI, added: “It was a pleasure to collaborate with Sora Aviation on this important project. Our welding expertise plays a crucial role in establishing scalable high precision laser welding processes, supporting the broader goal of sustainable eco-friendly mobility solutions.”

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Sora Aviation’s partnership with TWI was facilitated by Innovate UK Business Growth through an RTO Catapult grant.

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Tara Gillam, Regional Manager of Innovate UK Business Growth in the South West of Innovate UK: “Innovate UK plays a crucial role in facilitating partnerships between pioneering startups like Sora Aviation and leading research organisations. By fostering these collaborations, we help accelerate the development of cutting-edge technologies that can redefine the future of sustainable aviation. We are proud to support Sora Aviation in achieving this important milestone.”

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Furqan added: “Innovate UK’s funding and commitment to fostering collaboration between startups and research organizations have been invaluable to Sora Aviation. The support is enabling us to push the boundaries of electric aviation”.

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About Sora Aviation

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Sora Aviation is developing the S-1: a 30-seat eVTOL aircraft designed for affordable, accessible and sustainable air mobility.

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For media inquiries, please contact: hello@soraaviation.com  

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