A US aircraft manufacturer have successfully completed the first flight of its all-electric plane. Eviation Aircraft, this month said it has developed a zero-emission aircraft for both passenger and cargo journeys.

A need for sustainability in the aviation industry is leading to innovation from aerospace engineers.

Eviation’s plane, known as “Alice”, flew for eight minutes at 3,500 feet over Washington state. This enabled the company to gather data for further optimisation.

Eviation claimed that Alice does not produce carbon emission and boasts a reduction of noise and a fraction of the cost of operation per flight hour when compared to light jets or high-end turboprops.

Alice’s flight range will typically be 150 to 250 miles. The three variants include a cargo plane, a six-passenger executive cabin and a nine-passenger commuter. With a maximum operating speed of 260 knots the weight limit extends to 2,500lbs of passenger or 2,600lbs of cargo. Power is provided by two 700kW Magni650 propulsion units, from Magni X.

Orders have been placed by Cape Air, Global Crossing Airlines and DHL Express.

Cape Air Founder and Board Chairman Dan Wolf says “Alice can easily cover 80 per cent of our flight operations, bringing sustainable, emission-free travel to the communities we serve.” 

Eviation, president and CEO Gregory Davis said, “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.”

Image credit: Eviation