A Better Way to Fund Electric Aircraft R&D

There are individuals and smaller companies making some strides that could help a company get in the game for less.

Jason Depew

Thursday, March 31, 2022 at 12:16 PM ET

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A former employee at Zero Motorcycles did some interesting tweaking to a Sonex Xenos. [Courtesy: Sonex]

Key Takeaways:

Textron's $242 million acquisition of Pipistrel highlights the high cost and extensive R&D typically associated with developing certified electric aircraft, like the Velis Electro which has limited flight duration.
An alternative, cost-effective approach to electric aviation is demonstrated by Gabe DeVault, who built an experimental electric Xenos for under $100,000 using a Zero Motorcycles drivetrain, achieving performance comparable to or exceeding the Velis Electro.
This success suggests that smaller general aviation manufacturers can develop competitive electric aircraft by leveraging experimental aircraft rules and potentially partnering with electric powertrain suppliers, offering a more attainable path than large-scale acquisitions.
The article advocates for this grassroots, experimental approach to foster competition and accelerate the transition to electric aviation, suggesting Textron may have overlooked a more agile and economical strategy.

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Last week, we saw Textron spend $242 million to purchase Pipistrel, skipping up to 11 years of R&D, acquiring some significant engineering talent, and obtaining a marketable electric aircraft, the Velis Electro, capable of approximately 24 minutes of flight time (plus FAA-required VFR reserves), based on initial testing conducted in the U.S. at Florida Tech.

Based entirely on this news, the outlook for electric aircraft seems a little dim. It would appear to me that getting to a serious 4-place electric cross-country airplane will take hundreds of millions of dollars in further investment, and potentially decades of development. Most GA aircraft manufacturers simply cannot afford that expense.