The world’s first all-electric commuter plane made its first flight earlier this week. Eviation’s Alice prototype flew for 8 minutes and ascended to 3,500 ft, before landing back at the company’s base in Moses Lake, Washington.
The flight came less than a month after a series of successful high-speed taxi tests were conducted, which we reported on here.
“Today’s first flight provided Eviation with invaluable data to further optimize the aircraft for commercial production,” said CEO and President Gregory Davis following the milestone on Sep 27. “We will review the flight data to understand how the performance of the aircraft matched our models.”
“It was wonderful,” said test pilot Steve Crane. “It handled just like we thought it would. Very responsive, very quick to the throttle, and it came on in for a wonderful landing. I couldn’t be happier.”
The first of many test flights
It was the first of a flight test program that will explore the aircraft’s limits in various conditions. Such testing will inform development of production prototypes for the company. Eviation is targeting 2025 for flight tests with production prototypes. With FAA approval, they hope to hit the market in 2027.
Alice is powered by an 8,000 lb battery, with twin engine props mounted near the tail powered by 640-kilowatt MagniX Electric Propulsion Unit (EPU) engines.
Eviation wants to target the regional market, and hit smaller airports that typically serve cargo hauls and private plane owners. Shorter routes of 500 miles or less make up for nearly half the world’s air travel. Electric planes would be a lot quieter too, letting them service smaller hubs where flights are more restrictive due to noise.
Ultimately, they want to develop a regional all-electric plane that can charge in 30 minutes and fly 400-500 mile routes. A passenger version will be able to fly up to 9 passengers at a time. They also want to develop cargo and luxury / business executive versions.
Part of a growing but untested industry
Like it or not, aerospace innovations are going greener. Eviation isn’t the only player in the game either. Wright Electric is developing a 100-passenger electric plane. United and Mesa Air are backing an aircraft by Heart Aerospace. Airbus and Boeing are both working on designs too.
They’ve secured some big orders already too, with companies such as GlobalX, DHL Express and Cape Air all showing interest with their dollars.
“Alice e-cargo planes will require less investment in station infrastructure. The quick charging times mean we can charge them while loading and unloading shipments,” says DHL. The company has ordered 12 cargo versions.
Yes, these planes can charge quickly
“Alice’s range and payload make it a unique, sustainable solution for our global aviation network, supporting our aspiration to make a substantial contribution to reducing our carbon footprint and ultimately achieving net-zero emissions by 2050,” says John Pearson, CEO of DHL Express. “This maiden flight confirms our belief that the era of sustainable aviation is here.”
Despite the predictable naysayers, it appears the theory and concept is solid. While a lot of work lies ahead, surely NASA, Airbus, United and other industry giants can’t all be wrong about the future of battery-powered air travel. They are all betting millions of dollars on it.
