It's Here, Folks! A Zero-Emission Aircraft Capable of Commercial Flight

So, who or what is Alice? Alice is the brainchild of the Israeli start-up Eviation. She is considered the first of her kind. A zero-emission aircraft. ZERO EMISSIONS!

Let me clarify what I mean by the first of its kind. Zero-emission aircraft has existed before Alice, but it’s Alice that’s able to take the game to the next level. This aircraft is able to carry a 9-person payload plus 2 pilots. Something other aircraft with this type of technology haven’t been able to do. The second most important aspect of Alice is that she can travel around 600 miles (970 km) in one trip, making her perfect for regional travel.

According to Flightglobal, 55% of airline flights are within the 650 mile range, so it makes sense to need no more than that.

But that isn’t stopping Eviation from working on a stronger-lighter-faster model. In 2023, Eviation may bring an extended-range aircraft able to travel a distance of 745mi (1200 km).

Eviation is working with Ohio-based Hartzell for its propeller systems. Hartzell’s been in the propeller business since the first days of aviation, and around 1917, the Wright Brothers suggested to Robert Hartzell to produce propellers in his factory. Back then, they were made of walnut wood.

“Hartzell is an industry icon in aviation for its innovative propeller designs. It is largely responsible for the two precursors to our battery-power engine – the turboprop propeller and the piston-engine, so we welcome them as a valued partner, as together we chart this new era of electric aviation,” said Omer Bar-Yohay, CEO of Eviation.

“Eviation's new aircraft provides an exciting opportunity to be a part of the next generation in aircraft powered by electricity,” continued Joe Brown, Hartzell's President.

Other large component manufacturers such as Magnix, Rolls Royce and Siemens are amongst those in on the action. In total, 164 suppliers from 21 different countries have worked on the Alice project.

One of the main reasons we aren’t seeing too many of this type of aircraft up in the air yet, is because a few snags along the way still need to be cleared up. One of which is the tremendous weight of battery components. Just to give a little perspective on what that means. The Alice weighs around 14,000 pounds, of which 8,200 pounds is only the battery array. That’s more than half of the aircrafts total weight.

However, a whopping 95% of the aircraft is constructed with lightweight composite materials. Still, Bar-Yohay, describes the Alice as a “huge battery with some plane painted on it.”

And finally, the biggest dream-maker, or breaker in some cases, is and will always be the FAA. If they don’t feel that the aircraft meets or exceeds environmental and safety standards, then commercial use becomes a no-fly zone. But, before any of this happens, the Alice will undergo nearly 30 months of test flights before standing before the FAA.

The launch customer for the Alice was announced in June 2019 as being U.S. based Cape Air, one of the largest independent regional airlines on U.S. soil.

With technological advancements being made every day, we will definitely begin seeing a larger application of zero-emission tech in aircraft. Oh, and
at lower costs too. But we’ll talk business on a different day.