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Fully Electric Flight! That's Right Folks. Fully Electric. No More Fossil Fuel

It's an idea that I’m sure some have had for years now, and finally someone broke through the boundaries and is at last able to deliver a fully-electric aircraft. And quite affordable, if I do say so myself.
eFlyer 14 photos
Photo: Bye Aerospace
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This is the eFlyer series. Developed by Bye Aerospace in conjunction with Siemens, it features fully electric propulsion. And about time if you ask me.

George E. Bye of Bye Aerospace has been fighting the battle for electric flight for some time now. From early concepts with solar cells on wings, to the final stages with the Siemens SP70D, Bye Aerospace now offers two models, the eFlyer 2, capacity for two people, and the eFlyer 4, with, you guessed it, a capacity of four people.

“We originally thought solar cells would be standard on the airplane’s wings. However, with eFlyer’s primary markets being flight training and air taxi services, it makes more sense to make the price of the airplane as reasonable as possible,”  says George E. Bye.

And that’s where Siemens, with its SP70D motor, comes in. With a weight of 57 pounds and a maximum output of 120 HP, it’s perfect for small aircraft looking to break away from conventional fuels. Siemens has been working on electric motors for some time now, and in conjunction with other industry giants are now seeing a growth in this sector of production.

eFlyer 2
Photo: Bye Aerospace
Since its appearance in 2016, the eFlyer has been attracting the attention of other aeronautical groups. That year, twenty eFlyer 2s were ordered by the Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology.

Since then, Bye Aerospace has been expanding. An order for 60 eFlyers, from OSM Aviation, a training resource for many of the world’s airlines, was placed in 2019. “We’re proud to take the lead in the future of green aviation. This is the largest order for commercial electric planes to date.” said Espen Heiby, OSM Aviation’s CEO.

Later in the year, another 100 eFlyer 4s were ordered by BlackBird. plus another ten eFlyer 2s. Since then, over 300 more eFlyers have been ordered by unidentified customers worldwide.

The eFlyer 2 comes equipped with the new 90kW Siemens SP70D electric motor, which takes its juice from six lithium-ion batteries and offers a max climbing rate of 1,150 feet per minute. The juice on this bad boy will keep you soaring for about 3.5 hours, so you won’t be taking any transatlantic flights or anything like that.

eFlyer 2
Photo: Bye Aerospace
Now, all technical stuff aside, one big reason this type of aircraft is seeing such interest is, well, money. The operating cost of the eFlyer 2 is around 14 dollars an hour in comparison to the Cessna 172’s cost of 88 dollars an hour.

And the eFlyer 4’s operating cost comes in at nearly 20 dollars for the hour, compared to the Cessna 182’s cost of 122 bucks an hour. With base prices for these puppies, just under 350,000$ for the e2, and a little over 350,000$ for the e4, why not fly to your destination?

Sure, this particular piece of aerospace ingenuity may not be ready to take your whole family on a quiet ride between the clouds, but that moment isn’t too far away or may even already be here.

At the 53rd International Paris Air Show, some larger capacity electric aircraft has been spotted, so this tech is already seeing applications on a larger scale.
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About the author: Cristian Curmei
Cristian Curmei profile photo

A bit of a nomad at heart (being born in Europe and raised in several places in the USA), Cristian is enamored with travel trailers, campers and bikes. He also tests and writes about urban means of transportation like scooters, mopeds and e-bikes (when he's not busy hosting our video stories and guides).
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