Photo Credit: Aviation International News
Who says only cars can be electric?
A new aviation startup from Israel has just announced their latest project: a nine-seater electric aircraft that can fly trans-regionally.
Eviation, an Israeli startup that specializes in electric aircraft, showcased its all-electric plane called “Alice” at the Paris Air Show earlier this week. Aircraft such as Alice are specially made to be lightweight and can only be used for short distance travels of up to 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles). The company believes that this “middle mile aviation,” as they call it, is the “sweet spot” for electric aircraft.
Although Alice is not the first aircraft to make use of electrical power, it’s the first ever aircraft to use it alone. LA-based company Ampaire developed the six-seater Ampairee 337 as a hybrid electric plane for short distance travel. The plane flew for the first time just two weeks ago.
Eviation’s next plan is to conduct more test flights by the end of 2019. The company is hoping to receive their certification by 2021 and start running commercial flights by 2022.
