Alice, An All-electric Plane Successfully Takes First 8-minutes Test Flight At 3,500ft In The United States

Eviation Aircraft, an Israeli start-up technology company in Moses Lake, Washington, USA, conducted the first test flight of an electric aircraft developed by the company. Eviation Aircraft previously called Alice "the world's first all-electric commuter aircraft."

Alice has taken flight, marking a beautiful, new dawn in aviation - the #electric era is here and we are proud to lead the way! This historic achievement wouldn’t have been possible without our incredible team - thank you! #electricaviation #zeroemissions pic.twitter.com/slHbb68SkB

— Eviation Aircraft (@EviationAero) September 27, 2022

Eviation Aircraft aims to deliver passenger and cargo electric planes by 2027, but reaching that goal will also depend on advances in battery technology. The initial commercial goal is to charge in about 35 minutes and to fly about 240 to 400 kilometers.

The aircraft made its maiden flight on September 27 at Grant County International Airport (KMWH) in Moses Lake, Washington. Alice took off at around 7:10 AM PST and flew for about 8 minutes at about 3500 feet. Eviation has partnered with aerospace engineering firm AeroTEC to deliver the aircraft for some time, and to test it at AeroTEC's Moses Lake facility.

Named after Lewis Carroll's "Alice" in "Alice in Wonderland," the plane was designed to accommodate nine passengers and two pilots. Following an early iteration at the 2019 Paris Air Show, this revised fuselage features a T-tail, high aspect ratio straight wings with winglets and a unique rear-mounted front propeller.

According to Eviation, the aircraft is designed to have a maximum daily range of 250 nautical miles (463 km) and a maximum cruising speed of 260 knots (481.52 km/h). An "executive" configuration with six seats is also in development.

AndroBliz learned that the all-electric aircraft is powered by high-energy-density batteries that power two tail-mounted 640-kilowatt Magni650 motors, manufactured by MagniX, to propel its five-bladed propellers.

The plane uses "the same type of 21700 [lithium-ion] battery that can be found in Tesla or many cars. The spec sheet shows the battery level is about 270 to 260 watt-hours per kilogram." The battery itself "acts as a structural part of the plane, which means that from a load-bearing standpoint, without a battery, the aircraft cannot fly.” The company hopes the aircraft will receive FAA type certification in time to enter service in 2025.

Eviation's recent commercial success reflects the aircraft's potential to revolutionize aviation in the short term. Global Crossing Airlines (GlobalX) recently signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Eviation for an order for 50 Alice aircraft, with deliveries expected to begin in 2027.

Take-off 7:10 a.m.
Alice is flying pic.twitter.com/V7sIpPGfpB

— Dominic Gates (@dominicgates) September 27, 2022

GlobalX said, "Eviation's Alice aircraft is setting the standard for sustainable aviation, and we plan to offer the aircraft to cruise lines, tour operators, leisure travel suppliers and commercial customers who require short-haul charter flights in Florida."

Additionally, in April 2022, commuter giant Cape Air signed a letter of intent with Eviation for 75 Alice aircraft, aimed at advancing "sustainability, growth and innovation."