Workhorse Group Inc. (Nasdaq: WKHS) (“Workhorse” or “the Company”), an American technology company focused on pioneering the transition to zero-emission commercial vehicles, today announced significant progress it is making in advancing Workhorse Aero, the Company’s drone business.“We are making important progress with our Aero Business, and the steps we are highlighting today reflect the strength of our technology, our systems and our people,” said Rick Dauch, Workhorse CEO. “We have clear growth strategies, and our team is focused on capturing the tremendous opportunities as we work to make last-mile delivery more sustainable and more efficient.”John Graber, Workhorse Aero President, said, “Our Aero team is building safe, reliable, dependable drones, and we have the ability to scale. We’ve flown thousands of tests over hundreds of hours across numerous aircraft in our fleet. We know what our systems can do, and they can deliver.”Taking Next Steps with UPSThe Company has entered the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) process to put the WA4-100, known as Horsefly, on UPS Flight Forward’s (UPSFF) FAA Part 135 “drone airline” certificate. Workhorse Aero is working closely with UPSFF and the FAA and plans to have Horsefly approved for FAA Part 135 operations by the end of 2023.Gaining FAA approval is the next step in a productive, on-going collaboration between Workhorse and UPS Flight Forward as the two companies work together to bring safe, capable drone delivery systems to market. Workhorse Aero trained UPSFF personnel to operate and maintain the drones and UPSFF’s professionals have flown hundreds of successful missions with Workhorse Aero aircraft.For the FAA to approve Horsefly for operations on UPSFF’s Part 135 certificate, Workhorse must complete an extensive and demanding flight test program. Flight tests span hundreds of hours over many separate flight tests using a fleet of aircraft and must be accomplished satisfactorily.John Graber added, “We are pleased that UPS Flight Forward recognizes that our Horsefly drones are safe and reliable, and we are thrilled to take this next step with them. We will work closely with the USPFF and FAA teams to complete the required flight tests, on schedule.”Additional Grants For Drone ServicesOver the last month, Workhorse Aero has been awarded two additional grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) for farmland scanning, which total approximately $1.1 million in additional USDA funding to support agriculturally based applications. This brings the total of USDA for sensor scanning work grants received this year to more than $2 million.John Graber concluded, “We continue to see significant growth opportunities in the agricultural markets, as government agencies and our partners rely on our drones to capture the data they need to drive their work forward.”About HorseflyThe WA4-100, also known as Horsefly, is one of Workhorse’s family of all-electric, multipurpose uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), designed to tackle a variety of commercial and industrial applications. With the push of a button, the WA4-100 aircraft automatically takes off and flies safely and quietly to its destination. Once there, the system – entirely automatically – hovers quietly while gently lowering the package on target. The aircraft then – still automatically – safely and quietly returns to base, where it is ready for another delivery within minutes. When properly equipped, Workhorse systems can carry up to 10 pounds and for as far as 10 miles.About Workhorse Group Inc.Workhorse is a technology company focused on providing ground and air-based electric vehicles to the last-mile delivery sector. As an American original equipment manufacturer, we design and build high-performance, battery-electric trucks and drones. Workhorse also develops cloud-based, real-time telematics performance monitoring systems that are fully integrated with our vehicles and enable fleet operators to optimize energy and route efficiency. All Workhorse vehicles are designed to make the movement of people and goods more efficient and less harmful to the environment. For additional information visit workhorse.com
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