Will a Larger Airframe Help Heart’s Electric Airplane Become a Reality?

Air Canada and Saab join growing list of backers for Heart Aerospace’s environmentally friendly regional airplane.

Friday, September 16, 2022 at 01:28 PM ET

Verified

Air Canada has invested $5 million in Heart Aerospace’s ES-30 electric airliner program and signed a provisional agreement to buy 30 aircraft. [Courtesy: Heart Aerospace]

Key Takeaways:

Heart Aerospace has abandoned its 19-passenger ES-19 design in favor of the larger, more commercially viable 30-passenger ES-30 electric-hybrid regional aircraft.
The ES-30 incorporates SAF-burning turbogenerators for reserve power and extended range, addressing practicality concerns of purely electric models and offering ranges up to 800 km.
The new design has attracted significant industry backing, including a provisional order for 30 aircraft from Air Canada and $5 million investments each from Air Canada and Saab.
Heart Aerospace expects the ES-30 to enter service in 2028, with previous ES-19 orders, including those from United Airlines, converting to the ES-30.

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Now that Heart Aerospace has announced plans to develop a 30-passenger electric airplane instead of a 19-passenger platform, the Sweden-based company may be on a more likely path to success.

Heart announced Thursday it will abandon previous plans to develop its ES-19 in favor of a larger, battery-powered electric regional aircraft design called the ES-30, which incorporates a non-electric power source for reserve range— two turbogenerators that burn sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).