Electric Aircraft

Rolls-Royce and Tecnam Aircraft have joined efforts to produce an electric version of the P2012 Traveller commuter/utility aircraft, with plans to debut the new version in 2026. The partnership collaborates with Scandinavian airline Widerøe to ready the airplane for commercial service within Widerøe’s current network in Norway. The program builds on the existing agreement between […]

At a deserted drop test range outside Henderson, Nevada, in late February 2021, Aviation Safety Resources, Inc. (ASR), successfully completed the first developmental test of its whole-aircraft parachute recovery system for Bye Aerospace’s eFlyer 2, the first in the company’s eFlyer family of FAA Part 23-certified all-electric aircraft. “This was the first in a series […]

With the increased global focus on green energy and the introduction of a variety of hybrid-electric aircraft, Honeywell Aerospace has announced the development of a turbogenerator that would power electric motors for such products. The unit is specifically designed to supply the high-powered electric motors and to recharge the batteries of urban mobility aircraft, such […]

Surf Air Mobility says it’s acquiring Ampaire and its hybrid electric powertrain technology as a critical component of Surf Air Mobility’s plans “to improve the affordability, accessibility, and environmental footprint of regional aviation travel.” Surf Air Mobility added in a news release that “Ampaire is currently creating hybrid electric powertrains for existing popular aircraft, aimed […]

NEBOair, a UK-based electric transport company, announced this week that Pipistrel’s Velis Electro has received UK CAA certification. The company plans to use the all-electric, two-seat airplane primarily for sightseeing flights and flight training, but also for its “micro airline” operations, transporting one customer at a time between London and the British Midlands. NEBOair representative […]

With many concept aircraft failing to make it past the prototype stage, Bye Aerospace has made it to the next milestone with its electric aircraft program. The company started production on the first conforming eFlyer, Bye announced on January 26. Composites Universal Group, of Warren, Oregon, was selected to begin tooling and construction. “We continue to make advances in […]

California-based Archer, creating the world’s first all-electric airline, plans to collaborate with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) to access the automobile giant’s low-cost supply chain, advanced composite material capabilities, and engineering and design experience. Archer will manufacture high-volume, composite, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, with the intent of starting production in 2023. FCA, the parent company […]

The popularity as well as the utility of Cessna’s Caravans—operating on both land and sea—is well known, with nearly 3,000 having been produced since the model series was introduced nearly 40 years ago. It makes sense, then, that a number of companies chose the Caravan as the platform around which to create a supplemental type […]

The zero-emissions solution proposed and under development by startup company ZeroAvia has attracted the attention of a cadre of interesting players that have now signed on to deliver a substantial round of funding to the program. New investment from the Amazon Climate Pledge Fund, Breakthrough Energy Ventures (established by Bill Gates in 2015), Ecosystem Integrity Fund, Horizons Ventures, Shell Ventures, and Summa […]

Daher, Safran, and Airbus announced on December 10 they had completed the preliminary design review phase for the consortium’s EcoPulse Demonstrator, which uses a distributed hybrid-electric propulsion system. The review “freezes” the aircraft’s configuration, and it positions the demonstrator for its next steps, which include mounting Safran motors in preparation for the first flight. The […]