Eviation’s all-electric Alice makes maiden flight

Eviation Aircraft (Qadima, Israel) has successfully completed the first flight of its zero-emission Alice aircraft, a major milestone in electric aviation.

Alice lifted off at 7:10 a.m. from Grant County International Airport (MWH) in Washington, flying for eight minutes at an altitude of 3,500 feet. Flight of the technology demonstrator provided Eviation with invaluable data to further optimize the aircraft for commercial production.

“Today we embark on the next era of aviation — we have successfully electrified the skies with the first flight of Alice,” Eviation president and CEO Gregory Davis says. “People now know what affordable, clean and sustainable aviation looks and sounds like for the first time in a fixed-wing, all-electric aircraft. This ground-breaking milestone will lead innovation in sustainable air travel, and shape both passenger and cargo travel in the future.”

Eviation Alice produces no carbon emissions, significantly reduces noise and costs a fraction to operate per flight hour compared to light jets or high-end turboprops, the company reports. The aircraft is targeted at commuter and cargo markets, and will typically operate flights ranging from 150- 250 miles. Cape Air and Global Crossing Airlines, both U.S.-based regional airlines, have placed orders for 75 and 50 Alice aircraft respectively. DHL Express (Bonn, Germany) is Eviation’s first cargo customer, with an order of 12 Alice eCargo planes. With this engagement DHL aims to establish the first electric express network, leading the way for a new era of zero-emissions air freight.

“The first flight of Alice represents a transformational milestone for the aviation industry,” Cape Air founder and board chairman Dan Wolf notes. “We currently fly more than 400 regional flights per day, connecting more than 30 cities across the United States and Caribbean. Alice can easily cover 80%of our flight operations, bringing sustainable, emission-free travel to the communities we serve.”