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At the 53rd Paris Air Show, Eviation Aircraft, a global manufacturer of all-electric aircraft, revealed the first all-electric commuter plane to debut at the show, its full-scale, all-electric commuter airplane Alice. To meet existing and pre-sale purchase orders for Alice, Eviation will complete its first flights and begin manufacturing in the U.S. in 2019, and, in conjunction with commercial customers and the FAA, will bring certified fleets to market in 2022.
Targeting highly-trafficked “middle mile” commutes around the world for routes like France’s Paris to Toulouse, Norway’s Oslo to Trondheim and the U.S.’s San Jose to San Diego, Alice is a radical rethinking of the cost, experience and environmental impact of regional travel. Air carriers, like their ground mobility peers, are moving to replace expensive, aging fleets with electric options that dramatically reduce maintenance and operating costs. Alice will reduce those carrier costs by up to 70 per cent, while bringing travellers a cost-competitive, emission-free option.
The culmination of four years of design and collaboration with an ecosystem of partners that spans France, Italy, Singapore, Germany, South Korea, Australia, the U.S. and Israel, Alice represents a breakthrough on many levels. Working hand-in-hand with its world-class partners that include Honeywell (flight-by-wire systems), Siemens (EPUs), Hartzell (propellers), magniX (EPUs) and Magnaghi Aeronautica (LG) has made the Alice a harbinger of a new, more sustainable era in aviation. Eviation has extended its network to include the collaboration with AeroTEC, which will lead Alice’s flight tests and first flight in Moses Lake, Wash., and serve as a partner for certification.
“Capable of flying with nine passengers at 240 knots and a range of up to 650 miles [1046.07 kilometres], we are thrilled to introduce Alice to the aviation world at the aviation industry’s largest gathering. Operating at a fraction of the costs of conventional jetliners, our Alice will redefine how people travel regionally and usher in a new era of flying that is quieter, cleaner and cost-effective,” said Eviation CEO, Omer Bar-Yohay. “On behalf of the world-class group of suppliers within Alice’s anatomy, we are humbled to recognize this debut as more than an unveiling — a historic milestone within the aviation industry. With the introduction of Alice, we welcome an all-new breed of airplanes for the first time in 50 years and it is only the beginning of a bright future for electric aviation and sustainable transportation.”
