The Eviation Alice V2 is the first all-electric passenger airplane
(Picture: Eviation)Alice, the first all-electric passenger airplane, completed its inaugural flight yesterday, marking a milestone in the race to green and guilt-free flying.
The plane, made by Israeli company Eviation Aircraft, completed the eight-minute flight from Washington state’s Grant County International Airport, traveling at an altitude of 3,500 feet. The airport is about 200 miles east of Seattle.
“This is history,” Gregory Davis, Eviation’s president and CEO, told CNN Business. “The 1950s was the last time you saw an entirely new technology like this come together.”
The nine-passenger Alice, which is relatively compact and looks more like a private jet, relies on battery technology similar to that of electric cars, and can fly for one hour and about 440 nautical miles (500 miles) on a 3-minute charge.
Flying has come under intense scrutiny over the past few years for its role in contributing to emissions causing climate change. While only 2.4 per cent of global emissions come from aviation, long-haul flights are big emitters, estimated to spew 51 per cent of the COâ from all flights even though they account for only six per cent of routes.
While the Alice wasn’t designed to fly long-distance routes, its range puts it within striking distance of Paris, Amsterdam, and even Zurich, when taking off from London.
Its speed, however, pales in comparison to today’s passenger jets – it tops out at 287 miles per hour, compared to a Boeing 737’s 588 miles per hour.
So, a slower plane, no doubt, but at least the flying experience will be improved. The plane’s lack of a combustion engine will make flights significantly quieter and less bumpy, Davis said, in the same vein as electric vehicles glide by on roads.
The company also said Alice requires less maintenance, which means airlines can maximise the time in service and thus potentially lower the cost of flights.
For now, Eviation has designed three configurations for the aircraft: commuter, executive, and cargo. The commuter version can take nine passengers and two pilots, while the executive one is limited to six passengers.
The company plans to start deliveries to airlines by 2027, and already counts US-based commuter airline CapeAir as a client, for its Boston-Cape Cod routes.
Eviation is likely to face stiff competition in its race to make green flying a reality for many - airplane makers Boeing and Airbus have recently also made strides in developing electric planes.
