Electric plane needs $200M for final push
100
Electric aircraft programmes are in development globally
london — A passenger plane in the running to become the aviation industry’s first fully commercial battery-powered model needs about $200 million to bring it to market, according to developer Eviation Aircraft Ltd.
The Israeli company plans to fly a prototype of the ‘Alice’ design at the Paris Air Show in June and to begin building the first production version in the next two-and-a-half years, CEO Omer Bar-Yohay said. It should sell for about $3 million.
While the plane is one of several electric models at the design stage, its 9-passenger capacity and 1,046km range from a single charge could give it an edge in the commuter market currently served by a variety of light aircraft. Many other proposed craft are smaller, reflecting the limiting weight of batteries and fuel cells, while full-size airliners may take years to develop.
Running costs for the Alice will be about $200 per flight hour versus $1,000 for a turboprop, presenting a “compelling business case,” Bar-Yohay said, adding that it already has “a few hard commitments” from would-be operators. Existing funds should take the project to the prototype stage “and a bit further,” but won’t by themselves bankroll manufacturing, he said.
The Alice will be slower than some conventional craft, with a cruising speed of 240 knots (444 km per hour), half the pace of modern business jets but not far short of some turboprop models.
The plane’s range would be less than that of the Cessna Caravan, a similarly sized light turboprop model that’s popular in the US commuter market, but not drastically so.
About 65 per cent of the Alice’s weight would come from lithium ion batteries sourced from South Korea’s Kokam Co, which will drive electrical propulsion units most likely sourced from Siemens.
Right now, the CEO says, Eviation is ahead of the pack — but “not by much.” Roland Berger reckons there are 100 different electricaircraft programmes in development worldwide.