An airline operating commuter flights in the US has become the first to place an order for electric planes from Israel-based developer Eviation.
Cape Air, which flies on routes such as New York to Nantucket and Boston to Martha’s Vineyard, has agreed to buy a ‘double-digit’ number of the nine-passenger electric plane, called Alice.
The airline, headquartered in Massachusetts, currently operates turbo-props.
Speaking at the Paris Air Show, Eviation CEO Omer Bar-Yohay said other airlines, including major carriers such as United Continental and JetBlue, are prospective customers for the electric plane, which has a range of 650 miles.
Eviation is showcasing a prototype at the air show where Bar-Yohay said he was ‘talking to everyone’. It is planning a first flight later this year in the US, followed by the assembly of more planes in Arizona and Washington state and certification around 2021.
"We’re a bit ahead of the pack but I have no doubt others are coming," Bar-Yohay said.
"The hurdles aren’t just about getting the plane out the door, but everything else that goes with them," he said. "We need an environment to support the plane and trained engineers and mechanics."
The company is targeting ‘middle mile’ commutes, such as Paris to Toulouse, Oslo to Trondheim in Norway and San Jose to San Diego in the US.
At $200 per flight, the Alice’s operating costs are lower than for a turboprop, which burns around $1000 of fuel, but with a cruising speed of 276 miles per hour it is slower than the traditional turboprop aircraft generally used on such routes.
