On Tuesday, the plane flew for eight minutes at 3,500 feet and collected data that will help the company "further optimize the aircraft for commercial production."Alice's first flight on September 27.
"This ground-breaking milestone will lead innovation in sustainable air travel, and shape both passenger and cargo travel in the future," Eviation president and CEO Gregory Davis said in a press release.
The one-of-kind aircraft, which is a "proof of concept" plane" will have zero emissions, reduce noise by 20% to 30%, and cost less to operate compared to light jets or planes powered by turbofans.
Powered by two electric propulsion units from magniX, Alice can fly up to 288 miles at speeds of 260 knots and carry up to 2,500 pounds of cargo. According to the company, the magni650 is the "only flight-proven electric propulsion systems at this scale."
Other components include British aerospace company GKN's wings and Honeywell's fly-by-wire system, flight controls, and avionics. The plane is designed for two pilots.Alice crew members.
Eviation is creating three different Alice variants, including commuter, executive, and eCargo options, which are all identical except for the interior, according to the company.
The commuter variant is marketed toward commercial operators and is designed to carry up to nine people. So far, airlines like Cape Air and Florida's Global Crossing Airlines have ordered 75 and 50 Alice planes, respectively.Alice in Global Crossing Airlines livery.
"We currently fly more than 400 regional flights per day, connecting more than 30 cities across the United States and Caribbean," Cape Air founder Dan Wolf said. "Alice can easily cover 80 percent of our flight operations, bringing sustainable, emission-free travel to the communities we serve."Alice taking off on September 27.
Onboard Alice, commercial passengers will find wide seats with 32-inches of pitch, large overhead bins, and panoramic windows in a spacious cabin, which is the widest in its class.Alice commuter interior.
The business version will have several luxurious amenities, including a "state-of-the-art" galley, the biggest baggage compartments in its class, a large wardrobe, and comfortable loungers with retractable tables.Executive interior cabin plan.
The windowless eCargo option offers forward and aft loading doors and organized compartments for freight, which have the highest cargo-carrying capacity in Alice's class.
"Alice is the true game-changer by enabling long-distance air transport for the first time with zero emissions," DHL Express' SVP of global air fleet management, Geoff Kehr, said.Interior of Alice as a DHL Express cargo plane.
Specifically, the company hopes to tap into airports with strict noise restrictions that many traditional aircraft cannot fly to.
Eviation
However, Eviation is hitting some snags. "The biggest technical challenge that Eviation has to overcome is the development of batteries," Davis told Leeham News. "We really do need the industry to boost the energy density."Alice at the Paris Air Show in 2019.
