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Eviation’s “Alice” Debuts At Paris Air Show

The electrically propelled airplane aims at the commuter market.

Eviation unveiled its proposition to the turboprop-commuter airline market at the Paris Air Show with Alice, its all-electric, 9-passenger prototype airplane, and announced Cape Air as its first fleet partner.

Slated as the latest entrant in a host of urban mobility vehicles aimed at advancing the quest towards a cleaner future, Eviation’s Alice looks like one of the largest aircraft to date powered solely by electric propulsion. Through its partnership with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Eviation hopes to demonstrate that the Siemens motors currently installed in the aircraft will be ready for a first flight in the next few months. A MagniX Magi250 engine option is also in the works for Alice, along with that company’s plans to test the 750-hp Magni500 on a Cessna Caravan 208B and Harbour Air Beaver, as well as Eviation’s design.

Eviation putting the Alice prototype together
The development team at Eviation putting the Alice prototype together. Courtesy Eviation

The Israel-based startup has used funding from its private investors thus far, according to CEO Omer Bar-Yohay, though it will require at least $200 million more to achieve its next goals, which include meeting FAA Part 23 compliance for commuter and air taxi operations. Watch the announcement here.

Alice has a proposed range of 650 miles, at a projected speed of up to 240 knots. Its initial propulsion configuration places one pusher-mounted propeller at the rear of the airplane, with a pusher propeller at each wingtip. Each motor would be at least 260kw, with the system backed by a lithium-ion 900 kWh battery arrangement.

In other electric news at the Paris Air Show this week, Airbus announced a collaboration with Daher and Safran on the EcoPulse demonstrator.

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