The world's first Alice electric short-haul airplane takes off for the first time

Eviation Aircraft has tested the Alice electric aircraft. It is the first electrically powered aircraft designed for short-range air transportation.

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The Alice, a small passenger model, was able to stay in the air for eight minutes as part of the test. According to the manufacturer, the tests were conducted in normal mode, and the aim was to check the reliability of the systems during the flight.

The Alice is equipped with two electric engines and batteries with a total mass of more than 3,600 kg. In flight, the aircraft was able to reach a speed of about 270 km/h. One of the main tasks for the company now is to reduce the weight of the batteries with a parallel increase in power capacity.

Also Eviation Aircraft needs to pass certification and reduce the cost of the aircraft to the level when Alice will be in demand by customers. The company has a few years to do all this. Deliveries of the Alice are scheduled for 2027. It is expected that the commercial version of the electric plane will be able to carry up to nine passengers to a distance of 270-460 km, and the flight time will be increased to two hours.

Source: Popular Science