Alice From Eviaiton Aircraft: World’s First All-Electric, Zero-Emission Commuter Airliner

It’s no secret that aircraft powered by carbon-based fuel are noisy and bad for the environment. “By 2020,” Wikipedia notes, “aviation emissions were 70% higher than in 2005 and they could grow by 300% by 2050 [due to increased air traffic].” Electric-powered airplanes would be a great improvement — both in terms of carbon footprint and noise — but they’re fraught with technological challenges to overcome.
 
In a world-first, Israeli startup Eviation Aircraft has unveiled a small, all-electric, zero-emision regional airliner whimsically named Alice. The company has already received a substantial launch order from U.S. regional carrier Cape Air. Note: To be truly carbon-neutral, the electricity charging Alice’s batteries will have to be generated with green technology.
 
Quote: “The cost of operations is really the key selling point here. The Alice is about $200 a flight hour in direct operating costs — that includes everything: the battery reserve, energy, whatever consumables you have, prop reserves, the works. Compared to a turboprop, that’s not even 20% of the cost of an hour. Compared to the older, slower pistons, we’re still at roughly half or 40% of the cost.” — Omer Bar-Yohai, co-founder and CEO of Eviation.
 
Sources: Wikipedia, YouTube
 
Learn more about Eviaiton Aircraft’s Alice on Wikipedia. ►
 
Watch “Eviation’s All-Electric Alice Regional Airliner Secures a Major Launch Order — AINtv” [4:38]. ►
 
Read “Israeli firm Eviation wins prestigious aircraft innovation award”” and watch the brief video trailer [1:45]. ►
 
Artist rendering: Pinterest.com