Cutting-edge aviation company creates world's first all-electric aircraft with astounding features: 'Future of flight'

The dream of all-electric air transportation is advancing quickly, as Eviation Aircraft has partnered with South Florida-based UrbanLink Air Mobility to supply the company with its new eco-friendly plane.

Eviation will provide 10 of its Alice electric commuter aircraft, which it said is the world's first of its type, along with the option for 10 more, as Interesting Engineering reported. 

"Our order for Eviation Alice aircraft completes the third leg of our all-electric operating plan, giving us the ability to offer nine-seat, zero-emission flights across our network," said Ed Wegel, UrbanLink Founder and Chairman, per the article. 

There are a variety of electric and hybrid planes in the works from various startups, but Eviation has already received orders for 600 of the all-electric Alice from companies like Air New Zealand and DHL, with sales totaling more than $5 billion.

An Alice prototype was first launched in 2022 and has since completed more than 400 runs that provided rich data to validate the aircraft's production design as it works towards final FAA certification. 

That required certification may not happen until 2028, according to a report by Flight Global, which puts its projected launch in line with some other startups like Heart Aerospace. 

Such steps are necessary to ensure the safety of these next-generation aircraft, as the world pushes to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. 

An all-electric, zero-emission plane would certainly help the aviation industry cut its carbon footprint, which accounted for 2% of all planet-warming gases released into the atmosphere in 2022.  

As you'd expect, Alice is kitted out with an advanced digital flight deck that focuses on enhancing performance while reducing the workload for pilots. The flight control system is fully electronic and includes touchscreen flight displays. 

The propulsion system is provided by magniX, which received funding from NASA as part of an effort to bring Electrified Aircraft Propulsion technologies into service no later than 2035. It includes two 700-kilowatt magni650 electric engines.

One of the biggest challenges for all-electric aircraft is the weight of the batteries, and Alice has quite a load of them. The battery packs weigh 8,000 pounds (or 4 tons), but the company has said they can be recharged in just 30 minutes. 

That gives the plane a range of 550 miles, and an average cruising speed of 287 miles per hour, which should be perfect for short-haul commuter flights.   

"Eviation and UrbanLink share a dream of making electric air travel a fact of everyday life," said Andre Stein, CEO of Eviation, per the report.

"As Alice continues on its path to Entry into Service, partnerships such as this will ensure a future of flight that empowers travelers with convenient, accessible, and affordable air travel that is friendly to the planet."

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