Eviation Aircraft unveiled the design for its Alice all-electric nine-seater aircraft, which is on track for its first flight later this year. The production setup, optimized based on real-world lessons learned and customer feedback, defines Alice’s path to certification and entry into service expected in 2024.
Progress in developing this unique aircraft was greatly delayed due to the pandemic, but that didn’t stop Eviation from demonstrating the appearance of the production version of the electric plane. Now it looks more like a regular business jet. The company ditches the V-tail setup in favor of a T-tail configuration and drops one of the motors entirely.
Instead of three 260-kW motors from MagniX, the Alice all-electric aircraft is now powered by a pair of new and more powerful 640 kW motors from MagniX that have moved from the ends of the wings to either side of the fuselage. This production-ready version includes an unchanged range of 814 km (506 miles). The creators claim that this is achieved with a single-volume, high-energy-density Alice battery system made from currently available battery cells and is not reliant on future advancements.
The Eviation Alice has a cruise speed of 407 km/h (253 mph), a payload capacity of 1,130 kg (2,500 lb), and space for nine passengers and two crew. The aircraft produces no carbon emissions, significantly reduces noise, and costs a fraction to operate per flight hour.
“Sharing our production Alice design is a special day for Eviation and our partners. It also represents a final step in our iterative journey toward Alice’s first flight,” said Eviation CEO Omer Bar-Yohay. “Electric aviation will continue to open up new possibilities for affordable, sustainable regional travel around the world. Alice is poised to turn that possibility into reality soon.”
“Alice is a beautiful aircraft and represents the future of flying, plain and simple,” said Eviation Executive Chairman Roei Ganzarski. “Add in zero emissions, less noise, and significantly lower operating costs, and communities will be connected like never before, starting sooner than you think.“
According to the company representatives, Alice is on track for its first flight later this year and expects it to enter service in 2024.
