The Alice, an aircraft developed by Israeli company Eviation, underwent engine testing at Arlington Municipal Airport north of Seattle last week. According to Eviation CEO Omer Bar-Yohay, the Alice is just weeks away from its maiden flight.
With battery technology similar to that of an electric car or a mobile phone and charging for 30 minutes, the nine-passenger Alice can fly for an hour and approximately 440 nautical miles. The aircraft has a maximum cruising speed of 250 kts or 287 miles per hour. For reference, a Boeing 737 has a maximum cruising speed of 588 miles per hour. The company, which focuses solely on electric flying, hopes that electric planes that can accommodate 20 to 40 passengers will be a reality in seven to 10 years.
A prototype of the aircraft, which debuted in 2019, has been undergoing low-speed taxi testing since December and will attempt a high speed taxi test in the coming weeks. In these tests, the aircraft is sent off the runway at various speeds to test its own power and allow ground teams to monitor systems such as steering, braking and anti-skid. Although the company initially aimed for the Alice to fly before 2022, poor weather conditions in the Pacific Northwest hampered testing at the end of the year.
Eviation has developed three versions of the prototype: a “commuter” variant, an executive version, and one specialized for freight. The commuter configuration during testing can accommodate nine passengers and two pilots, as well as 850 pounds of cargo. The executive design has six passenger seats for a wider flight, and the cargo plane has a volume of 450 cubic feet.
All this is possible while reducing the maintenance and operating costs of commercial jets up to 70 . be reduced% the company said.
According to industry experts, the battery is the biggest obstacle to electric aviation becoming the norm in passenger aircraft.
“The stumbling block is battery technology, just like in cars, but more so in airplanes. This is because with airplanes it’s weight,” said Ross Aimer, CEO of Aero Consulting Experts. “Once we have better battery technology, which I suspect will be in two or three years, all these electric planes will eventually come.”
Twelve Alice’s have been ordered by the international shipping company DHL, which are expected to be delivered in 2024. These planes, of DHL Express’s global fleet of more than 280 aircraft, will be used as freight carriers on shorter journeys. “Our ambition is to make a substantial contribution to reducing our carbon footprint, and these advancements in fleet and technology will go a long way towards achieving further carbon reductions,” said Mike Parra, CEO of DHL. Express America, in an interview with DailyExpertNews Business.
Eviation has announced the purchase of its proposed fleet by DHL and commuter carrier CapeAir and says more will be announced once Alice’s maiden flight takes place. CapeAir’s proposed Alice fleet is expected to enter service in 2023 on routes connecting Boston, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket and Hyannis.
While we seem to be getting closer to battery-powered flying for some features, not everything is nearly ready to go. Cross-ocean flights and jumbo jets are years beyond current science, for example. But the most pressing concern for electric aviation is regulation. The FAA has not yet established clear guidelines or regulatory framework for electric aircraft, which fall under the Advanced Air Mobility category, although Eviation says it is actively working with the FAA to achieve certification for production by 2024. “Some certifications may require the FAA to issue special terms or additional airworthiness criteria, depending on the type of project. Determining the qualifications for these aircraft is an ongoing process,” an FAA spokesperson said.
Proponents of electric aviation predict that Alice and electric planes will become as common as any other mode of transport. “It really integrates aviation into the transportation of our commute. It does this while being sustainable and economically viable,” said Bar-Yohay. “Once we start seeing planes like this, the whole way we look at where we live, how we commute, how we go on vacation. It’s going to be a high-speed train with no track.”
But electric planes large enough to compete with large passenger jets may still be a long way off.
“The first step would be to try these at a commuter or charter market,” said Aimer. “If that works well, you will eventually get passenger planes. For that we need Boeing or Airbus to come up with a real electric plane. I would see that in about ten years.”