Sweden's 30-Seat E-Plane - World 1st
Sweden's Heart Aerospace Takes Orders For its Electric Passenger Plane
Zero Emissions Flying
Swedish startup Heart Aerospace is developing the world's first, 30-seat electric passenger plane. The prototype is being built to fly 124 miles on battery power alone. With an accompanying reverse-hybrid engine consisting of 2 turbo generators powered by sustainable aviation fuel, the aircraft's range doubles to 248 miles. Called the ES-30, it's a hot electric plane prototype that's scheduled for delivery in 2028. Heart is getting investment money from Air Canada and Sweden's largest aerospace company Saab AB. Saab and Air Canada are investing $5 million each in Heart. Air Canada also has placed an order for 30 of the ES-30 electric passenger planes. These aircraft operate with zero emissions and very little noise.
Race For Electric Planes
A number of eVTOL companies like Florida's Eve Air Mobility which just sold 200 air taxis to United Airlines, Germany's Lilium and California's ZevaAero, are racing to bring electric air taxis that can carry a few passengers to market. The electric flying taxi technology is highly advanced but a bit easier to achieve than that of a much larger electric passenger plane. Only a handful of companies like Heart are working to bring electric passenger planes to market by the end of this decade. The reason is there is a major technological challenge in developing electric passenger planes.
Weight and Range
The main challenge in developing electric passenger planes is the weight, range and performance limitations that are inherent to the battery propulsion systems. Heart Aerospace appears to be solving the problem. If capacity on the ES-30 is limited to 25 passengers, the plane's range is extended to nearly 500 miles. Aviation experts say that Canada and Scandinavia are the ideal markets for such a regional carrier. A number of carriers, including United Airlines and Mesa Air Group, have ordered 200 ES-30 electric planes. Sweden is targeting all of its domestic flights to be zero-emissions by 2030. So, the market for electric passenger planes is definitely growing.
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