A prototype all-electric passenger plane took off for the first time yesterday on a test flight marking a major milestone for carbon-free aviation. The Verge he says:
The nine-passenger aircraft named Alice took off at 7:10 a.m. yesterday from Washington State's Grant County International Airport. Alice is the first plane, part of an upcoming suite of all-electric aircraft already in development. It could be the “first all-new, all-electric commercial plane” if the Federal Aviation Administration gives it certification to carry passengers, according to the Seattle Times.
Alice's maker, the company Washington-based Eviation targets commuter and cargo flights between 150 and 250 miles. It's like a flight from New York to Boston or from Los Angeles to Las Vegas.
However, yesterday's test flight lasted just eight minutes, and the aircraft reached an altitude of 3.500 feet. The purpose of the flight was collection data to improve the design of the plane, which still has a long way to go before it can take off with passengers.
Alice will eventually come in three configurations: a nine-passenger passenger plane, a six-passenger luxury plane, and an e-cargo version. The limited size has to do with battery capacity.
