All-electric aircraft manufacturer Israel-based Eviation Aircraft has announced its first commercial customer — Cape Air, a Massachusetts-based regional airline that operates in the US and the Caribbean.
The streamlined plane, called “Alice,” can seat nine passengers and is planned to cruise at a speed of 260 knots for a range of up to 650 miles. The all-electric vehicle is meant to reduce operating costs stemming from fuel and oil usage.
The plane is scheduled to undergo flight tests this year and receive certification in 2021 according to a Reuters report, which also quoted Eviation as saying the plane will be available for commercial use in 2022.
Eviation announced earlier this year that Siemens would supply motors for the manufacturer’s Alice airplanes, later adding MagniX as another supplier. But today, Rolls Royce announced that it would acquire Siemens’ eAircraft business to accelerate the delivery of its electrification strategy and boost its ambition “to play a major role in the ‘third era’ of aviation.”
