The all-electric Alice Taxi after its successful test flight in Moses Lake, Washington. Photo: Mathieu Lewis-Rolland (Getty Images)
The world’s first all-electric passenger plane has finally taken off. The Eviation Aircraft Alice made its maiden voyage on Tuesday after a series of setbacks and delays repeatedly delayed the historic flight – officially bringing passenger aircraft into the EV age.
The first Alice flight was short and sweet, lasting a total of eight minutes, according to CNN. The EV plane took off from Grant County International Airport in Washington state early Tuesday morning and reached a maximum altitude of 3,500 feet.
Photo: Mathieu Lewis-Rolland (Getty Images)
The plane’s maximum operating speed is 260 knots, just under 300 mph, powered by two 640 kW (858 hp) electric motors, GeekWire reports, but battery capacity hasn’t been finalized yet.
Eviation CEO Gregory Davis says the company is targeting a maximum range of between 200 and 300 nautical miles, which would allow the airliner to perform flights of 150 to 250 miles. Maximum payload is said to be up to 2,600 pounds, and the Alice will carry two pilots and up to nine passengers.
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Of course, Tuesday’s test flight of the EV passenger plane was without passengers. According to test pilot Steve Crane, this is just the first in a series of small steps. But it is nonetheless a significant advance in passenger aircraft propulsion methods. The company followed the progress and told CNN:
That’s history […] We haven’t seen a change in propulsion technology on airplanes since we went from piston engines to turbine engines. It was the 1950’s that was the last time you saw an entirely new technology like this come together.
Next, all flight data is analyzed and compared to the eviation models developed in the laboratory. The company expects production models of the Alice to be ready and FAA certified by 2027, but that’s subject to change.
The pace of battery technology is advancing rapidly, which will affect the final production of the Alice in both good and bad ways. If Eviation could use lighter and more energy-dense batteries, it could improve the aircraft’s performance. But improvements are likely to increase the cost of the zero-emission aircraft.
Photo: Mathieu Lewis-Rolland (Getty Images)
Three years ago, Eviation said the plane had a list price of $4 million. Now that the price of precious metals for batteries has increased, Eviation says not to rely on the prices originally quoted. Airlines are likely to have to pay a lot more in 2027, and with a capacity of nine passengers and a range of up to 250 miles, that might not sound like a bargain. But this is a start.
Regional carriers Cape Air and Global Crossing Airlines, both based in the US, have ordered 75 and 50 Alice aircraft, respectively. Cape Air says it operates more than 400 regional flights a day to cities in the US and Caribbean, and the Alice could “easily” cover 80 percent of its flights.
Not only regional airlines are interested in the Alice. DHL Express is planning a small fleet of all-electric aircraft and the courier has ordered 12 Alice eCargo aircraft. Just like the passenger plane, the cargo version will have relatively small capacities compared to conventional planes. But again, all-electric aircraft are literally just taking off.
Photo: Mathieu Lewis-Rolland (Getty Images)