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Episode 133 - A Powerful Alliance in Electric Urban Air Mobility

What do you get when you combine the brainpower of aerospace leader Honeywell with leading automotive supplier DENSO? A powerhouse partnership that is shaping the future of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) with electric propulsion systems for aircraft.

Driven by a shared vision of moving people and cargo in radically more efficient and sustainable ways, the Honeywell DENSO alliance brings together Honeywell’s 100 years of aerospace expertise and DENSO’s 30-plus years of electrification know-how.

Recently, the partners announced that they are co-developing an electric motor (e-motor) for an all-electric jet with Lilium, the developer of the first all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) jet. This proprietary, high-performance system brings exceptional performance and reliability with zero operating emissions typically associated with commercial jet engines.

We sat down with Kenji Morikawa, Director, Electrified Systems Engineering at DENSO, and Taylor Alberstadt, Global Sales and Marketing Leader, Unmanned Aerial Systems/Urban Air Mobility at Honeywell Aerospace, to discuss the evolution of their alliance, their company synergies, and how electric-powered aircraft will evolve over the next decade.

Meet Our Guests

KENJI MORIKAWA
Director, Electrified Systems Engineering, DENSO International America, Inc.

Kenji Morikawa is a director of Electrified Systems Engineering at DENSO in North America. Based at the company’s regional headquarters in Southfield, Michigan, he leads development and sales of electrification technology for automotive and urban air mobility markets. Prior to this role, he was a general manager of the Electrification Business Unit, focused on inverter and motor design.

Morikawa joined DENSO in 1990 as an engineer of chassis control components at the company’s global headquarters in Japan. Since then, he has taken on roles of increasing responsibility in various departments. These have included the Steering Control Business Unit, where he managed component integration R&D, and the Safety Business Unit, where he developed advanced air bag systems.

Morikawa earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Kumamoto University in Kumamoto, Japan.

TAYLOR ALBERSTADT
Global Sales and Marketing Leader, Unmanned Aerial Systems / Urban Air Mobility
Honeywell Aerospace

Taylor is the Global Sales & Marketing Leader for Honeywell’s Commercial UAS/UAM business, based in Phoenix, AZ. His team is working to create this new market and provide Honeywell’s portfolio of best-in-class offerings to enable the future of flight.

In his prior role, Taylor was the Business Development Lead for Electric and Hybrid Electric Propulsion and worked with both start-ups and established OEMs of fixed-wing and vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, helping to craft various propulsion architectures to meet customer requirements and vehicle mission profiles. Taylor holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a law degree from Arizona State University.

Our Host


 

GRAYSON BRULTE
Innovation Strategist & Co-Founder, Brulte & Company
 

Grayson Brulte is an autonomous mobility advisor and consultant who provides strategic counsel and political insights to help clients navigate what’s next.

As an SAE strategic partner since 2017, Grayson brings his in-depth industry knowledge to host SAE Tomorrow Today. His unique perspective factors in economics, politics and technology into one-of-kind weekly conversations with innovators changing mobility and its impact on society.

Grayson is a thought-leader who regularly provides insights to publications including Bloomberg, Reuters, The Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, Hollywood Reporter and Forbes. His written opinions and insights have been featured by organizations including the Consumer Technology Association in presentations to the Federal Trade Commission.

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