Eviation Aircraft has announced that U.S.-based Cape Air will be the first commercial customer for its all-electric Alice aircraft. The agreement was described as a “double-digit purchase option” but the exact number of aircraft Cape Air is considering was not disclosed. Eviation displayed the first “fully operational” Alice at the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, France, this week.
“We are a company of firsts, and one with a deep sense of social responsibility,” said Cape Air founder and CEO, Dan Wolf. “We see tremendous opportunities to reduce the environmental impact of our operations, and to help our employees and communities do that as well. Augmenting our fleet with the all-electric Alice aircraft is the next chapter in our future.”
According to Eviation, the Alice incorporates “innovations in thermal management and autonomous landing, as well as distributed electric propulsion, industry-leading battery technology and cutting-edge composite body frames.” The aircraft is designed to carry nine passengers at a cruise speed of 240 knots for up to 650 miles on one charge. Eviation plans to begin flight testing the Alice this year, aiming for certification in 2021 and service entry in 2022.
