An all-electric prototype airplane, dubbed Alice, took off from the city of Moses Lake in Washington state on Tuesday.
The plane climbed to 3,500 feet after making two wide turns around the airfield, and eight minutes later, the jet successfully landed.
Eviation, an Arlington, Washington-based startup, designed and built the plane, which can transport nine passengers and one or two pilots and is powered by slightly more than 21,500 Tesla-style battery cells that together weigh more than 4 tons.
“What’s next is actually producing an airplane for the marketplace,” Eviation CEO Greg Davis told The Seattle Times.
Eviation eventually intends to produce three models, all of which will differ significantly from the prototype in terms of design: an executive model with a more opulent cabin, a cargo variant, and a nine-passenger configuration. JNS
How far can it fly? And how long to recharge before it can fly again?
Recharging midair.