One of the boldest sustainable aircraft projects currently under development, the twin-engine 100% electric Alice made its maiden flight this Tuesday at Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake, US.
The Eviation aircraft took off shortly after 7:00 am (local time) and remained flying for about 10 minutes before landing again at the same location.
The successful flight is a relief for the startup, which saw its project delayed and lost some executives some time ago. Alice is a slender plane, with electric motors by MagniX installed in the tail.
It is capable of carrying up to nine passengers or 1,134 kg of cargo over distances of up to 815 km. The aircraft only depends on its internal batteries to perform its flight, which can reach a cruising speed of 463 km/h. In addition, Alice is capable of generating up to 30% less noise than airplanes with combustion engines.
Today, our all-electric Alice aircraft electrified the skies and embarked on an unforgettable world’s first flight. See Alice make history in the video clip below. We’re honored to celebrate this groundbreaking leap towards a more #sustainable future.#electricaviation pic.twitter.com/Q9dFoTPyiB
— Eviation Aircraft (@EviationAero) September 27, 2022
100% electric aircraft are under development in several parts of the world, such as in Canada where the company Harbor Air adapted a De Havilland Beaver to fly with a battery powered engine also supplied by MagniX.
However, Eviation’s initiative looks more solid, with a project designed from the ground up to use only electricity as a power source.
Alice’s launch customer is Cape Air, which has a letter of intent for 75 aircraft.
