ePropelled opens Coventry innovation hub to push UAV propulsion output past 1 million units by 2027
ePropelled has opened a new global innovation center in Coventry to expand UAV propulsion and power systems production. The facility is intended to support a ramp to more than 1 million propulsion systems a year by 2027 and makes the UK a core base for the company’s electric, hybrid and energy management programs.
The company is targeting lightweight and high-power unmanned aircraft used in defense, industrial and commercial operations. Its Sparrow series covers small and mid-sized drones with motor options from 160Kv up to 7,000 watts. The Falcon line, including the iAPM600 controller, supports multirotor and fixed-wing platforms at power levels up to 10 kilowatts. For longer-endurance missions, the Hercules hybrid starter-generator systems provide up to 14 kilowatts for designs that combine combustion engines with electric propulsion.
ePropelled said the product family is built on a unified proprietary architecture aimed at simplifying integration and standardizing propulsion across different airframes. The company says that approach can help original equipment manufacturers add range, connectivity and common control functions while reducing system complexity for fleet operators. It also said it holds 36 patents spanning advanced magnetics, electric drive technology and intelligent energy management. The Coventry team will lead work on connected and AI-enabled systems for uncrewed platforms, including the ePConnect onboard service manager and telemetry platform for real-time monitoring, control and analytics across air, ground and marine vehicles.
The company currently produces about 100,000 to 150,000 systems annually and is using the new UK site as the center of its scale-up plan. It is also working with Germany’s Hirth Engines on hybrid propulsion packages that pair lightweight two-stroke engines with electric power systems. The goal is to extend endurance, improve efficiency and strengthen mission resilience for unmanned aircraft carrying heavier payloads or operating over longer ranges. By bringing propulsion design, software development and systems testing together in Coventry, ePropelled is also tightening links between engineering work in Britain and its broader global manufacturing and supply chain network.
The expansion comes as demand for uncrewed systems keeps rising across defense and industrial markets. If ePropelled meets its production target, the Coventry hub could become a significant node in the UAV propulsion supply chain, giving aircraft makers wider access to higher-efficiency electric and hybrid systems as endurance, payload and compliance requirements become tougher.