When will you count the electric flight era?

It is time for a change. The impact of civil aviation on the environment cannot be ignored. Equally the contribution that the aviation industry makes to the global economy must also be acknowledged.

The aviation industry is a significant contributor to the global economy and plays an important role in facilitating global commerce. In addition, the sector arguably fulfils a wider role in society, connecting families and communities and in particular guaranteeing those in remote places access to essential supplies and health care. Given the integral role that aviation plays in the global activity, it is clear that any solution will need to involve not a curtailing of aviation activity, but rather a reimagining of the way it is executed. Inevitably any such reimagining will involve finding a viable alternative to conventional fuel technologies as a means of powering aircraft.

The two alternatives to conventional fuel sources most commonly discussed are biofuels and electric and/or electric-hybrid aircraft.

The European Commission, as part of its Flightpath 2050 plan, wants carbon dioxide emissions reduced by 60%, nitrogen oxide emissions reduced by 90%, and noise pollution reduced by 75%. The European Aviation Safety Agency has announced that it will start categorising aircraft based on their carbon dioxide emissions, and the UK has committed to a goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

EasyJet, the British low-cost carrier, says it will start using electric aircraft by 2027, according to the company’s head of engineering, Gary Smith.

“Everyone’s saying this is going to happen and it’s just a question of when. I’ve come from a time when electric aircraft was impossible, but now we’ve turned that corner.”

The airline is working with American start-up Wright Electric to build electric planes for regular services that fly distances of less than 300 miles.

“There’s a tremendous demand for lower emissions aviation among consumers and also among airlines. Lower fuel consumption means lower costs as well.” Wright Electric CEO Jeff Engler said.

The fuel bill for the global airline industry last year was estimated to have totaled $180 billion. In 2019, the fuel bill is forecast to rise to $206 billion, accounting for 25% of airlines’ operating expenses. (Tom Chitty, 2019)

Electric planes would also have zero emissions, in an industry which produces around 2% of all human induced carbon dioxide emissions, along with less vibration and lower noise.

However, according to Eviation, the Israeli company that created the Alice, the world’s first commercial all-electric passenger aircraft, it’s the economic benefits that are driving the development of electric planes.

“It makes economic sense.” said CEO Omer Bar-Yohay.

“This plane will cost $200 of flight hour to operate, a fraction of what a similarly sized and similar performance aircraft would cost to operate, and this is the reason we started the company.”

U.S. regional carrier Cape Air has already put in a “double digit” order for the Alice plane.

But there are still a number of challenges. The Alice for example holds just nine passengers and two crew members and its maximum flight distance is 650 miles on a single charge, roughly the distance between Paris and Barcelona. Popular planes used for short-haul flights, such as the Airbus A320 and the Boeing 737, can easily seat more than 100 passengers and cover over 1,000 miles.

Alice Specification

Alice uses distributed propulsion with one main pusher propeller at the tail and two pusher propellers at the wingtips to reduce drag, create redundancy and improve efficiency.

Low operating cost

Building an electrically powered aircraft competes on all of the highest cost factors of the operational cost of the plane, fuel & oil and motor reserve.

State-of-the-Art Technology

Drawing from an extensive base of innovation in the fields of airframe design, battery technology and integration, advanced lightweight materials, thermal management and vehicle autonomy.

Fast and Comfortable

All composite structure built for electric integration, extreme propulsion & aerodynamic efficiency and flight stability.

Sustainable, low noise & zero emissions

Quiet and emission free engine.

Seats	9 PAX (9+2)
Cabin	Pressurized
Cruise Altitude	10,000’
Cruise Speed	260 knots
Range + IFR reserve	650 miles
Energy pack	Li-lon - 900 kWh
Service ceiling	30,000'
VNE	340 knots
Approach speed	100 knots
Length	12.2m
Wingspan	16.12m
MTOW	6,350 kg
Power plant	3X260kW

In the near future at least, electric aircraft may not be a total game-changer – but there is certainly the potential to substantially change the face of short and medium-haul aviation within the next two decades.