Meet Alice, the latest all-electric private jet
Electric aircraft is an area of aviation development we’re watching closely here at PrivateFly.
We recently wrote about some updates to the Airbus-backed E-Fan, but Eviation Aircraft’s Alice is another concept that’s been quietly growing in credibility with investors and the aviation and business communities alike.
The Israeli start-up showcased its all-electric business and commuter aircraft concept for the first time in June, at the Paris Air Show, using a one-third scale flying model – and I was excited to see it there in person.
Later this month, the Eviation team will head to Oshkosh, Wisconsin for the AirVenture event. Their aim is to generate investment to bring their program to service entry in 2021.
The company says it has already received a number of letters of intent from parties interested in Alice. And it’s not too hard to see why.
Powered by a 980kwh lithium-ion battery, she will have a 540nm range, making her capable of flying popular business aviation routes, such as Paris to Nice, London to Geneva, or LA to Las Vegas. Her 9-seater cabin and maximum cruise speed of 240kts puts her on a par with the popular Beechcraft King Air turboprop – but she promises to come at a lower cost.
Alice has been designed from the ground up to be electric, with Eviation working in consultation with business aviation operators, looking to add electric aircraft to their future fleets. The economics certainly make this a very attractive idea, as her low operating costs will make Alice less expensive to run that any similar-sized business jet or turboprop – resulting in a lower charter price for the customer.
A fully-conforming prototype is the next stage. This is expected to take its first flight in late 2018, with European and US certification planned for 2020.
If the necessary infrastructure can be put in place, this is one of the most exciting electric aircraft concepts I’ve seen. At PrivateFly, we believe strongly in the future of electric aircraft, especially in the training environment and for shorter flights to city airports, where noise and pollution are barriers to more movements.
So we’ll be following Alice’s adventures with keen interest, and hope to add her to the PrivateFly charter fleet a few years from now.
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