Horizon Aircraft has announced a strategic partnership with Motion Applied to design and manufacture customized motor drive inverters for its Cavorite X7 hybrid-electric VTOL aircraft.
Motion Applied, formerly the high-performance technology arm of the McLaren Group, will utilize its motorsport heritage to develop a system based on its MCU-X platform. The collaboration focuses on a custom air-cooled silicon carbide motor drive inverter, a critical component responsible for converting DC power from on-board batteries into the AC power required for electric motors. This system is engineered to weigh less than 3kg while leveraging silicon carbide technology to ensure faster and more efficient power transfer.
The engineering goals for this partnership center on delivering high power density within a compact footprint. By utilizing Motion Applied’s decades of power electronics experience, the new inverter design aims to reduce cooling requirements significantly. For a hybrid-electric VTOL like the Cavorite X7, these improvements in weight reduction and thermal efficiency are vital for extending aircraft range and overall performance.
Horizon Aircraft’s Chief Technology Officer, Tom Brassington, said, “How do we ensure our vertical lift system meets our high-performance standards? By partnering with the team that has powered championship-leading race cars for more than 30 years. We considered many companies for this partnership, but ultimately it is Motion Applied’s innovation, deep expertise, and ability to rapidly design, manufacture, and test in-house that provides a great advantage.”
Motion Applied, which spun out of the McLaren Group in 2021 and rebranded in July 2025, operates as an independent Tier One technology provider. The firm focuses on transferring standards of precision and reliability from motorsport into electrification and connectivity across various industries. This partnership will see Motion Applied acting as a key partner through the aircraft’s certification process, providing on-site design, manufacturing, and testing support as Horizon progresses toward a full-scale prototype.
Samir Maha, Chief Executive Officer of Motion Applied said, “We’re proud to partner with Horizon Aircraft on its groundbreaking Cavorite X7 aircraft. The Company’s innovative approach to the VTOL challenge reflects a design philosophy and engineering mindset that resonates deeply with Motion Applied. We’re excited by the opportunity this collaboration presents to advance our inverter technology to new heights in support of Horizon Aircraft’s ambitious objectives.”
