Eviation confirms design for its Alice electric aircraft
The nine-passenger, zero-emissions plane could make its first flight later this year.
The Alice is meant for the private aircraft market.
The electric aircraft industry is tiny when compared with its fuel-guzzling counterpart, but it's also active, with a handful of companies working on plans for cleaner and greener flight. And one of those firms, Washington state-based Eviation Aircraft, unveiled the production design of its all-electric plane on Thursday.
Called Alice, it's meant for the commuter/business plane sector, with seats for nine passengers and a flight crew of two. Eviation promises a top speed of 253 miles per hour and a maximum range of 440 nautical miles, or about 506 miles, after a full charge. That's enough to fly between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
"Electric aviation will continue to open up new possibilities for affordable, sustainable regional travel around the world," Eviation CEO Omer Bar-Yohay said in a statement. "Alice is poised to turn that possibility into reality soon."
The two propellers, which are mounted on pods near the tail, are powered by Magnix 650 electric motors. Magnix, which also is based outside of Seattle, made aviation history in May 2020 when it sent the largest all-electric aircraft in history on its first flight, over Washington state.
Eviation says the Alice will make its first flight later this year and will enter service by 2024. Other companies developing electric aircraft include established firms such as Airbus and Embraer and startups like Ampaire, Pipstrel Aircraft, Wright Electric and Boeing-backed Zunum Aero. NASA is in the game as well and is developing an all-electric test airplane called the X-57 Maxwell.