| Cover | 12 Months Ended |
| Apr. 30, 2024 | |
| Document Information [Line Items] | |
| Document Type | PRE 14A |
| Amendment Flag | false |
| Entity Information [Line Items] | |
| Entity Registrant Name | AEROVIRONMENT, INC. |
| Entity Central Index Key | 0001368622 |
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure - USD ($) | 12 Months Ended | |||
| Apr. 30, 2024 | Apr. 30, 2023 | Apr. 30, 2022 | Apr. 30, 2021 | |
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure | ||||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure, Table | Pay Versus Performance Pay Versus Performance Table The following table sets forth information concerning the compensation of our NEOs for each of the fiscal years ended April 30, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, and our financial performance for each such fiscal year: Value of Initial Fixed $100 Fiscal Summary 1 (b) Compensation Average Average 1 (e) Total Peer Group 2 (g) Net Income Revenue 3 ($ in 2024 $7,602,053 $16,053,755 $1,649,861 $3,278,625 $265.17 $188.64 $59,666.0 $716,720 2023 $4,904,510 $6,973,761 $1,210,207 $1,219,831 $167.09 $148.86 $(176,167.0) $540,536 2022 $3,524,268 $(1,040,038) $1,184,605 $149,399 $133.29 $134.09 $(4,185.0) $445,732 2021 $2,524,773 $6,491,363 $743,648 $1,273,866 $183.16 $138.64 $23,345.0 $394,912 1. Amounts represent compensation actually paid to our PEO and the average compensation actually paid to our remaining NEOs for the relevant fiscal year, as determined under SEC rules (and described below), which includes the individuals indicated in the table below for each fiscal year: Year PEO Non-PEO NEOs 2024 Wahid Nawabi Kevin McDonnell, Melissa Brown, Trace Stevenson and Brett Hush 2023 Wahid Nawabi Kevin McDonnell, Melissa Brown and Alison Roelke 2022 Wahid Nawabi Kevin McDonnell, Kenneth Karklin, Melissa Brown and Alison Roelke 2021 Wahid Nawabi Kevin McDonnell, Kenneth Karklin, Melissa Brown and Alison Roelke The amounts reported in the “Compensation Actually Paid to PEO” and “Average Compensation Actually Paid to Non-PEO NEOs” columns do not reflect the actual compensation paid to or realized by our Chief Executive Officer or our other Named Executive Officers during each applicable year. The calculation of compensation actually paid for purposes of this table includes point-in-time fair values of stock awards and these values will fluctuate based on our stock price, various accounting valuation assumptions and projected performance related to our performance awards. Compensation actually paid to our NEOs represents the “Total” compensation reported in the Summary Compensation Table for the applicable fiscal year, as adjusted in accordance with SEC rules. The adjustments for fiscal year 2024 are reflected in the table below: PEO 1 NEO Prior FYE 4/30/2023 4/30/2023 SCT Total $7,602,053 $1,649,861 - Change in Pension Value and Above Market Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation $0 $0 - Grant Date Fair Value of Option Awards and Stock Awards Granted in Fiscal Year $(5,491,561) $(913,258) + Fair Value at Fiscal Year-End of Outstanding and Unvested Option Awards and Stock Awards Granted in Fiscal Year $9,235,498 $1,535,885 + Change in Fair Value of Outstanding and Unvested Option Awards and Stock Awards Granted in Prior Fiscal Years $4,209,603 $945,243 + Fair Value at Vesting of Option Awards and Stock Awards Granted in Fiscal Year That Vested During Fiscal Year $547,708 $55,761 + Change in Fair Value as of Vesting Date of Option Awards and Stock Awards Granted in Prior Fiscal Years For Which Applicable Vesting Conditions Were Satisfied During Fiscal Year $(49,546) $5,134 - Fair Value as of Prior Fiscal Year-End of Option Awards and Stock Awards Granted in Prior Fiscal Years That Failed to Meet Applicable Vesting Conditions During Fiscal Year $0 $0 + Value of Dividends or other Earnings Paid on Stock or Option Awards not Otherwise Reflected in Fair Value or Total Compensation $0 $0 Compensation Actually Paid $16,053,755 $3,278,625 Adjustments include the following assumptions used to calculate the fair value of the awards at each valuation date in accordance with ASC 718: (i) for awards of restricted stock, adjustments reflected are based on the fair value of the awards as of the applicable valuation date calculated by multiplying the change in stock price at each fiscal year end presented by the number of shares of restricted stock outstanding on such valuation date, and (ii) for PRSU awards, adjustments reflected are based on the fair value of the awards as of the applicable valuation date calculated by multiplying the stock price at each fiscal year end by the number of PSUs outstanding and by the estimated probability of achieving the performance target that was used to calculate our ASC Topic 718 expense for each fiscal year. For additional information regarding the valuation assumptions used in the calculation of these amounts, refer to Notes 13 and 14 to the financial statements included in our annual report on Form 10-K for our fiscal year ended April 30, 2024, as filed with the SEC. 2. For the relevant fiscal year, represents the cumulative TSR (the “Peer Group TSR”) of the SPADE Defense Index, which is the peer group used by the company for purposes of Item 201(e) of Regulation S-K under the Exchange Act in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2024. 3. While we use numerous financial and non-financial performance measures for the purpose of evaluating performance when establishing compensation programs, we have determined that revenue is the financial performance measure that represents the most important performance measure (that is not otherwise required to be disclosed in the table) we use to link compensation actually paid to our Named Executive Officers for the most recently completed fiscal year to the company’s performance. | |||
| Company Selected Measure Name | Revenue | |||
| Named Executive Officers, Footnote | Year PEO Non-PEO NEOs 2024 Wahid Nawabi Kevin McDonnell, Melissa Brown, Trace Stevenson and Brett Hush 2023 Wahid Nawabi Kevin McDonnell, Melissa Brown and Alison Roelke 2022 Wahid Nawabi Kevin McDonnell, Kenneth Karklin, Melissa Brown and Alison Roelke 2021 Wahid Nawabi Kevin McDonnell, Kenneth Karklin, Melissa Brown and Alison Roelke | |||
| Peer Group Issuers, Footnote | 2. | |||
| PEO Total Compensation Amount | $ 7,602,053 | $ 4,904,510 | $ 3,524,268 | $ 2,524,773 |
| PEO Actually Paid Compensation Amount | $ 16,053,755 | 6,973,761 | (1,040,038) | 6,491,363 |
| Adjustment To PEO Compensation, Footnote | PEO 1 NEO Prior FYE 4/30/2023 4/30/2023 SCT Total $7,602,053 $1,649,861 - Change in Pension Value and Above Market Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation $0 $0 - Grant Date Fair Value of Option Awards and Stock Awards Granted in Fiscal Year $(5,491,561) $(913,258) + Fair Value at Fiscal Year-End of Outstanding and Unvested Option Awards and Stock Awards Granted in Fiscal Year $9,235,498 $1,535,885 + Change in Fair Value of Outstanding and Unvested Option Awards and Stock Awards Granted in Prior Fiscal Years $4,209,603 $945,243 + Fair Value at Vesting of Option Awards and Stock Awards Granted in Fiscal Year That Vested During Fiscal Year $547,708 $55,761 + Change in Fair Value as of Vesting Date of Option Awards and Stock Awards Granted in Prior Fiscal Years For Which Applicable Vesting Conditions Were Satisfied During Fiscal Year $(49,546) $5,134 - Fair Value as of Prior Fiscal Year-End of Option Awards and Stock Awards Granted in Prior Fiscal Years That Failed to Meet Applicable Vesting Conditions During Fiscal Year $0 $0 + Value of Dividends or other Earnings Paid on Stock or Option Awards not Otherwise Reflected in Fair Value or Total Compensation $0 $0 Compensation Actually Paid $16,053,755 $3,278,625 | |||
| Non-PEO NEO Average Total Compensation Amount | $ 1,649,861 | 1,210,207 | 1,184,605 | 743,648 |
| Non-PEO NEO Average Compensation Actually Paid Amount | $ 3,278,625 | 1,219,831 | 149,399 | 1,273,866 |
| Compensation Actually Paid vs. Total Shareholder Return | ||||
| Compensation Actually Paid vs. Net Income | ||||
| Compensation Actually Paid vs. Company Selected Measure | ||||
| Total Shareholder Return Vs Peer Group | ||||
| Tabular List, Table | Pay Versus Performance Tabular List We believe the following performance measures represent the most important financial performance measures used by us to link compensation actually paid to our NEOs for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2024: • Revenue; Adjusted EBIDTA; and Bookings. | |||
| Total Shareholder Return Amount | $ 265.17 | 167.09 | 133.29 | 183.16 |
| Peer Group Total Shareholder Return Amount | 188.64 | 148.86 | 134.09 | 138.64 |
| Net Income (Loss) | $ 59,666,000 | $ (176,167,000) | $ (4,185,000) | $ 23,345,000 |
| Company Selected Measure Amount | 716,720,000 | 540,536,000 | 445,732,000 | 394,912,000 |
| PEO Name | Wahid Nawabi | |||
| Measure:: 1 | ||||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure | ||||
| Name | Revenue | |||
| Non-GAAP Measure Description | 3. While we use numerous financial and non-financial performance measures for the purpose of evaluating performance when establishing compensation programs, we have determined that revenue is the financial performance measure that represents the most important performance measure (that is not otherwise required to be disclosed in the table) we use to link compensation actually paid to our Named Executive Officers for the most recently completed fiscal year to the company’s performance. | |||
| Measure:: 2 | ||||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure | ||||
| Name | Adjusted EBIDTA | |||
| Measure:: 3 | ||||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure | ||||
| Name | Bookings | |||
| PEO | Total Pension Adjustments [Member] | ||||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure | ||||
| Adjustment to Compensation, Amount | $ 0 | |||
| PEO | Equity Awards Value In Summary Compensation Table (Grant Date Value) [Member] | ||||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure | ||||
| Adjustment to Compensation, Amount | (5,491,561) | |||
| PEO | Year-end Fair Value Of Awards Granted In The Current Fiscal Year [Member] | ||||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure | ||||
| Adjustment to Compensation, Amount | 9,235,498 | |||
| PEO | Change In Fair Value Of Outstanding And Unvested Awards Granted In Prior Fiscal Years [Member] | ||||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure | ||||
| Adjustment to Compensation, Amount | 4,209,603 | |||
| PEO | Change In Fair Value As Of Vesting Date Of Current Year Awards Vested During Current Year [Member] | ||||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure | ||||
| Adjustment to Compensation, Amount | 547,708 | |||
| PEO | Change in Fair Value as of Vesting Date of Option Awards and Stock Awards Granted in Prior Fiscal Years For Which Applicable Vesting Conditions Were Satisfied During Fiscal Year [Member] | ||||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure | ||||
| Adjustment to Compensation, Amount | (49,546) | |||
| PEO | Adjustments For Equity Awards Failed To Meet Performance Conditions [Member] | ||||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure | ||||
| Adjustment to Compensation, Amount | 0 | |||
| PEO | Dividends Or Other Earnings Paid On Equity Awards Not Otherwise Reflected In Fair Value [Member] | ||||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure | ||||
| Adjustment to Compensation, Amount | 0 | |||
| Non-PEO NEO | Total Pension Adjustments [Member] | ||||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure | ||||
| Adjustment to Compensation, Amount | 0 | |||
| Non-PEO NEO | Equity Awards Value In Summary Compensation Table (Grant Date Value) [Member] | ||||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure | ||||
| Adjustment to Compensation, Amount | (913,258) | |||
| Non-PEO NEO | Year-end Fair Value Of Awards Granted In The Current Fiscal Year [Member] | ||||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure | ||||
| Adjustment to Compensation, Amount | 1,535,885 | |||
| Non-PEO NEO | Change In Fair Value Of Outstanding And Unvested Awards Granted In Prior Fiscal Years [Member] | ||||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure | ||||
| Adjustment to Compensation, Amount | 945,243 | |||
| Non-PEO NEO | Change In Fair Value As Of Vesting Date Of Current Year Awards Vested During Current Year [Member] | ||||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure | ||||
| Adjustment to Compensation, Amount | 55,761 | |||
| Non-PEO NEO | Change in Fair Value as of Vesting Date of Option Awards and Stock Awards Granted in Prior Fiscal Years For Which Applicable Vesting Conditions Were Satisfied During Fiscal Year [Member] | ||||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure | ||||
| Adjustment to Compensation, Amount | 5,134 | |||
| Non-PEO NEO | Adjustments For Equity Awards Failed To Meet Performance Conditions [Member] | ||||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure | ||||
| Adjustment to Compensation, Amount | 0 | |||
| Non-PEO NEO | Dividends Or Other Earnings Paid On Equity Awards Not Otherwise Reflected In Fair Value [Member] | ||||
| Pay vs Performance Disclosure | ||||
| Adjustment to Compensation, Amount | $ 0 | |||
