An all-electric airplane developed by Eviation Aircraft achieved a major milestone in electric aviation as it flew for 8 minutes at an altitude of 3,500 feet, the company announced.
The flight took off on Tuesday at 7:10 a.m. from the Grant County International Airport in Washington. The zero-emission aircraft, named Alice, cuts down on noise significantly and is only a fraction of the cost to operate per flight hour compared to high-end turboprop planes or light jets, the company claimed in a Sept. 27 press release (pdf).
“Today we embark on the next era of aviation—we have successfully electrified the skies with the unforgettable first flight of Alice,” said Eviation CEO Gregory Davis. “People now know what affordable, clean, and sustainable aviation looks and sounds like for the first time in a fixed-wing, all-electric aircraft. This ground-breaking milestone will lead innovation in sustainable air travel, and shape both passenger and cargo travel in the future.”…