Electric aircraft
History
History
-------

By May 2018 almost 100 electric aircraft were known to be under development.
This was up from 70 the previous year and included 60% from startups, 32% from aerospace incumbents, half of them major OEMs and 8% from academic, government organizations and non\-aerospace companies, mainly from Europe (45%) and the U.S. (40%). Mostly [urban air taxis](/wiki/Urban_air_mobility "Urban air mobility") (50%) and [general aviation](/wiki/General_aviation "General aviation") aircraft (47%), a majority are battery\-powered (73%), while some are hybrid\-electric (31%), most of these being larger airliners. By May 2019, the number of known electric aircraft development programmes was closer to 170, with a majority of them aimed at the [urban air taxi](/wiki/Urban_air_mobility "Urban air mobility") role.
By 2022, about 100 electric aircraft designs were under development worldwide.
By 2023, the number of sustainable aircraft concepts under development (not only electric) was estimated at up to 700\.

### Airships

The use of electricity for aircraft propulsion was first experimented with during the development of the [airship](/wiki/Airship "Airship") in the latter part of the nineteenth century. On 8 October 1883, [Gaston Tissandier](/wiki/Gaston_Tissandier "Gaston Tissandier") flew the first electrically powered airship. The following year, [Charles Renard](/wiki/Charles_Renard "Charles Renard") and [Arthur Krebs](/wiki/Arthur_Krebs "Arthur Krebs") flew [La France](/wiki/La_France_%28airship%29 "La France (airship)") with a more powerful motor. Even with the lifting capacity of an airship, the heavy accumulators needed to store the electricity severely limited the speed and range of such early airships.

Fully electric airships are expected to be available again by the 2030s.

### Unmanned aircraft

In 1909, an electric [free flight](/wiki/Free_flight_%28model_aircraft%29 "Free flight (model aircraft)") model was claimed to have been flown eight minutes, but this claim has been disputed by the builder of the first recorded electric [Radio\-Controlled model aircraft](/wiki/Radio-Controlled_model_aircraft "Radio-Controlled model aircraft") flight in 1957\. Power density for electric flight was problematic even for small models.

[thumb\|The [NASA Pathfinder Plus](/wiki/NASA_Pathfinder_Plus "NASA Pathfinder Plus") electric\-powered [unmanned aerial vehicle](/wiki/Unmanned_aerial_vehicle "Unmanned aerial vehicle")](/wiki/File:Pathfinder_Plus_solar_aircraft_over_Hawaii.jpg "Pathfinder Plus solar aircraft over Hawaii.jpg")

[NASA's Pathfinder, Pathfinder Plus](/wiki/NASA_Pathfinder "NASA Pathfinder"), [Centurion](/wiki/NASA_Centurion "NASA Centurion"), and [Helios](/wiki/NASA_Helios "NASA Helios") were a series of solar and fuel cell system–powered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) developed by [AeroVironment](/wiki/AeroVironment "AeroVironment"), Inc. from 1983 until 2003 under [NASA](/wiki/NASA "NASA")'s [Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology](/wiki/Environmental_Research_Aircraft_and_Sensor_Technology "Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology") program. On September 11, 1995, Pathfinder set an unofficial altitude record for solar\-powered aircraft of  during a 12\-hour flight from [NASA Dryden](/wiki/Dryden_Flight_Research_Center "Dryden Flight Research Center"). After further modifications, the aircraft was moved to the [U.S. Navy](/wiki/U.S._Navy "U.S. Navy")'s [Pacific Missile Range Facility](/wiki/Pacific_Missile_Range_Facility "Pacific Missile Range Facility") (PMRF) on the Hawaiian island of [Kauai](/wiki/Kauai "Kauai"). On July 7, 1997, Pathfinder raised the altitude record for solar–powered aircraft to , which was also the record for propeller–driven aircraft.

On August 6, 1998, Pathfinder Plus raised the national altitude record to  for solar\-powered and propeller\-driven aircraft.

On August 14, 2001, Helios set an altitude record of  – the record for FAI class U (experimental/new technologies), and FAI class U\-1\.d (remotely controlled UAV with a mass between ) as well as the altitude record for propeller–driven aircraft. On June 26, 2003, the Helios prototype broke up and fell into the Pacific Ocean off Hawaii after the aircraft encountered turbulence, ending the program.

In 2005, [AC Propulsion](/wiki/AC_Propulsion "AC Propulsion") flew an unmanned airplane named "SoLong" for 48 hours non\-stop, propelled entirely by solar energy. This was the first such around\-the\-clock flight, on energy stored in the batteries mounted on the aircraft.[Solar Plane Breaks Two\-Night Flight Barrier](http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2005/07/solar-plane-breaks-two-night-flight-barrier-34057)  Renewable Energy World, July 5, 2005

The [QinetiQ Zephyr](/wiki/QinetiQ_Zephyr "QinetiQ Zephyr") is a lightweight solar\-powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). As of 23 July 2010 it holds the endurance record for an unmanned aerial vehicle of over 2 weeks (336 hours). It is of [carbon fiber\-reinforced polymer](/wiki/Carbon_fiber-reinforced_polymer "Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer") construction, the 2010 version weighing  (the 2008 version weighed ) with a [span](/wiki/Wingspan "Wingspan") of  (the 2008 version had a  wingspan). During the day it uses sunlight to charge [lithium\-sulphur batteries](/wiki/Lithium%E2%80%93sulfur_battery "Lithium–sulfur battery"), which power the aircraft at night. In July 2010 a Zephyr made a world record UAV endurance flight of 336 hours, 22 minutes and 8 seconds (more than two weeks) and also set an altitude record of  for FAI class U\-1\.c (remotely controlled UAV with a weight between ).

### Vertical flight

[thumb\|The 1918 [Petróczy\-Kármán\-Žurovec](/wiki/Petr%C3%B3czy-K%C3%A1rm%C3%A1n-%C5%BDurovec "Petróczy-Kármán-Žurovec") PKZ\-2 tethered helicopter followed the 1917 PKZ\-1](/wiki/File:PKZ-helikopter_ind%C3%ADt%C3%A1s_el%C5%91tt.jpg "PKZ-helikopter indítás előtt.jpg")

For a tethered device such as an air observation platform, it is possible to run the power up the tether. In an attempt to create a more practical solution than the clumsy balloons then in use, the Austro\-Hungarian Petróczy\-Kármán\-Žurovec PKZ\-1 electric\-powered helicopter was flown in 1917\. It had a specially\-designed  continuous\-rated electric motor made by [Austro\-Daimler](/wiki/Austro-Daimler "Austro-Daimler") and received its power up a cable from a ground\-based DC generator. However electric motors were not yet powerful enough for such applications and the motor burned out after only a few flights.

In 1964, [William C. Brown](/wiki/William_C._Brown "William C. Brown") at [Raytheon](/wiki/Raytheon "Raytheon") flew a [model helicopter](/wiki/Model_helicopter "Model helicopter") that received all of the power needed for flight by [microwave power transmission](/wiki/Microwave_power_transmission "Microwave power transmission").

The world's first large\-scale all\-electric [tilt\-rotor](/wiki/Tilt-rotor "Tilt-rotor") was the [AgustaWestland Project Zero](/wiki/AgustaWestland_Project_Zero "AgustaWestland Project Zero") unmanned aerial vehicle technology demonstrator, which performed unmanned tethered fights on ground power in June 2011, less than six months after the company gave the official go\-ahead.

[thumb\|[Solution F/Chretien Helicopter](/wiki/Solution_F/Chretien_Helicopter "Solution F/Chretien Helicopter")](/wiki/File:Hover-2011-08-29-SD-LG.png "Hover-2011-08-29-SD-LG.png")
The first free\-flying electric helicopter was the [Solution F/Chretien Helicopter](/wiki/Solution_F/Chretien_Helicopter "Solution F/Chretien Helicopter"), developed by [Pascal Chretien](/wiki/Pascal_Chretien "Pascal Chretien") in Venelles, France. It went from [computer\-aided design](/wiki/Computer-aided_design "Computer-aided design") concept on September 10, 2010, to first flight in August 2011, in under a year.

In September 2016, [Martine Rothblatt](/wiki/Martine_Rothblatt "Martine Rothblatt") and [Tier1 Engineering](/wiki/Tier1_Engineering "Tier1 Engineering") successfully tested an electric\-powered helicopter. The five minute flight reached an altitude of  with a peak speed of . The [Robinson R44](/wiki/Robinson_R44 "Robinson R44") helicopter was modified with two three\-phase permanent magnet synchronous [YASA Motors](/wiki/YASA_Motors "YASA Motors"), weighing , plus 11 [Lithium polymer batteries](/wiki/Lithium_polymer_batteries "Lithium polymer batteries") from [Brammo](/wiki/Brammo "Brammo") weighing . It later flew for 20 minutes in 2016\.
On December 7, 2018, Tier 1 Engineering flew an electric, battery\-powered R44 over  at  and an altitude of , setting a [Guinness World Record](/wiki/Guinness_World_Record "Guinness World Record") for the farthest distance.

In June 2017, Airbus presented its [CityAirbus](/wiki/Airbus_CityAirbus "Airbus CityAirbus"), an electrically powered [VTOL](/wiki/Vertical_take-off_and_landing "Vertical take-off and landing") aircraft demonstrator. The [multirotor](/wiki/Multirotor "Multirotor") aircraft is intended to carry four passengers, with a pilot initially and to become self\-piloted when regulations allow. Its first unmanned flight was scheduled for the end of 2018 with manned flights planned to follow in 2019\. [Type certification](/wiki/Type_certificate "Type certificate") and commercial introduction are planned for 2023\.

[Ingenuity](/wiki/Ingenuity_%28helicopter%29 "Ingenuity (helicopter)"), the NASA small uncrewed aerial system (sUAS) which flew on Mars in 2021 to become the first extraterrestrial aircraft, has a single pair of [coaxial rotors](/wiki/Coaxial_rotor "Coaxial rotor"). The [Dragonfly](/wiki/Dragonfly_%28Titan_space_probe%29 "Dragonfly (Titan space probe)") rotorcraft lander should be the second aircraft and rotorcraft to operate on another astronomical object than Earth. It should be flying in the atmosphere of Titan starting around 2034\. The VTOL capabilities is incorporated in order to move the lander and its sensors at various locations farther from the landing site.Lorenz, R. D. Planetary Exploration with Ingenuity and Dragonfly: Rotary\-Wing Flight on Mars and Titan. Library of Flight, AIAA, 2022\. 

### Experimental demonstrators

[thumb\|The Militky MB\-E1, a converted [Brditschka HB\-3](/wiki/Brditschka_HB-3 "Brditschka HB-3") motor glider (later HB\-23 pictured) was the first full\-size electric aircraft](/wiki/File:HB-Aircraft_HB_232-400-SP_PH-1032_26-09-04.jpg "HB-Aircraft HB 232-400-SP PH-1032 26-09-04.jpg")
[thumb\|[NASA](/wiki/NASA "NASA") developed the [X\-57 Maxwell](/wiki/X-57_Maxwell "X-57 Maxwell") from a [Tecnam P2006T](/wiki/Tecnam_P2006T "Tecnam P2006T")](/wiki/File:X57-Maxwell-CGI_%28cropped%29.jpg "X57-Maxwell-CGI (cropped).jpg")

On 21 October 1973, the Militky MB\-E1, a [Brditschka HB\-3](/wiki/Brditschka_HB-3 "Brditschka HB-3") motor glider converted by Fred Militky and piloted by Heino Brditschka, flew for 9 minutes from [Linz](/wiki/Linz "Linz") in Austria: the first electric aircraft to fly under its own power with a person on board, powered by [Nickel–cadmium batteries](/wiki/Nickel%E2%80%93cadmium_battery "Nickel–cadmium battery") (NiCad). NiCad batteries have a higher [energy density](/wiki/Energy_density "Energy density") than [lead–acid batteries](/wiki/Lead%E2%80%93acid_batteries "Lead–acid batteries"), needed to power a [heavier than air aircraft](/wiki/Heavier_than_air_aircraft "Heavier than air aircraft").

Following successful [human\-powered flight](/wiki/Human-powered_flight "Human-powered flight"), a relaunched [Kremer prize](/wiki/Kremer_prize "Kremer prize") allowed the crew to store energy before takeoff. In the 1980s several such designs stored electricity generated by pedalling, including the [MIT Monarch](/wiki/MIT_Monarch "MIT Monarch") and the [Aerovironment](/wiki/Aerovironment "Aerovironment") Bionic Bat.[Bionic Bat – Stored energy human powered aircraft](http://arc.aiaa.org/doi/abs/10.2514/6.1985-1447) M. Cowley, AeroVironment, Inc., Simi Valley, CA; W. MORGAN, AeroVironment, Inc., Simi Valley, CA; P. MACCREADY, AeroVironment, Inc., Monrovia, CA Chapter DOI: 10\.2514/6\.1985\-1447 Publication Date: 8 July 1985 – 11 July 1985

The [Boeing](/wiki/Boeing "Boeing")\-led FCD (fuel cell demonstrator) project uses a [Diamond HK\-36 Super Dimona](/wiki/Diamond_HK-36_Super_Dimona "Diamond HK-36 Super Dimona") motor glider as a research test bed for a hydrogen fuel cell powered light airplane. Successful flights took place in February and March 2008\.

The European Commission has financed many low [TRL](/wiki/Technology_readiness_level "Technology readiness level") projects for innovative electric or hybrid propulsion aircraft. The ENFICA\-FC is a project of the [European Commission](/wiki/European_Commission "European Commission"), to study and demonstrate an all\-electric aircraft with fuel\-cells as the main or auxiliary power system. During the three\-year project, a fuel\-cell based power system was designed and first flown in a [Rapid 200FC](/wiki/Kappa_77_KP_2U-SOVA "Kappa 77 KP 2U-SOVA") ultralight aircraft on 20 May 2010\.

The first NASA [Green Flight Challenge](/wiki/Green_Flight_Challenge "Green Flight Challenge") took place in 2011 and was won by a [Pipistrel Taurus G4](/wiki/Pipistrel_Taurus "Pipistrel Taurus") on 3 October 2011\.

In 2013 [Chip Yates](/wiki/Chip_Yates "Chip Yates") demonstrated that the world's fastest electric airplane, a Long ESA, a modified [Rutan Long\-EZ](/wiki/Rutan_Long-EZ "Rutan Long-EZ"), could outperform a gasoline\-powered Cessna and other aircraft in a series of trials verified by the [Fédération Aéronautique Internationale](/wiki/F%C3%A9d%C3%A9ration_A%C3%A9ronautique_Internationale "Fédération Aéronautique Internationale"). The Long ESA was found to be less expensive, have a higher maximum speed, and higher rate of climb, partly due to the ability of the aircraft to maintain performance at altitude as low air density does not impair engine performance.

In 2017, [Siemens](/wiki/Siemens "Siemens") used a modified [Extra EA\-300](/wiki/Extra_EA-300 "Extra EA-300") acrobatic airplane, the 330LE, to set two new records: on March 23 at the [Dinslaken](/wiki/Dinslaken "Dinslaken") Schwarze Heide airfield in Germany, the aircraft reached a top speed of around  over  and the next day, it became the first [glider towing](/wiki/Glider_towing "Glider towing") electric aircraft.

NASA was developing the [X\-57 Maxwell](/wiki/X-57_Maxwell "X-57 Maxwell") to demonstrate technology to reduce fuel use, emissions, and noise, but the program was cancelled due to problems with the propulsion system. Modified from a [Tecnam P2006T](/wiki/Tecnam_P2006T "Tecnam P2006T"), the X\-57 will have 14 electric motors driving [propellers](/wiki/Propeller "Propeller") mounted on the wing leading edges. In July 2017, [Scaled Composites](/wiki/Scaled_Composites "Scaled Composites") is modifying a first P2006T by replacing the piston engines with electric motors, to fly early in 2018, then will move the motors to the [wingtips](/wiki/Wingtips "Wingtips") to increase [propulsive efficiency](/wiki/Propulsive_efficiency "Propulsive efficiency") and finally will install the high [aspect ratio](/wiki/Wing_aspect_ratio "Wing aspect ratio") wing with 12 smaller props.

US/UK startup [ZeroAvia](/wiki/ZeroAvia "ZeroAvia") develops zero\-emissions [fuel\-cell](/wiki/Fuel-cell "Fuel-cell") propulsion systems for small aircraft, and tests its [HyFlyer](/wiki/Piper_PA-46%23ZeroAvia_HyFlyer "Piper PA-46#ZeroAvia HyFlyer") in Orkney supported by £2\.7 million from the UK government.

### Solar aircraft

[thumb\|The [Mauro Solar Riser](/wiki/Mauro_Solar_Riser "Mauro Solar Riser"), the first solar\-powered aircraft, flew on April 29, 1979](/wiki/File:Mauro_Solar_Riser.jpg "Mauro Solar Riser.jpg")
[thumb\|In 2016, [Solar Impulse](/wiki/Solar_Impulse "Solar Impulse") 2 was the first solar\-powered aircraft to complete a [circumnavigation](/wiki/Circumnavigation "Circumnavigation")](/wiki/File:Solar_Impulse_SI2_pilote_Bertrand_Piccard_Payerne_November_2014.jpg "Solar Impulse SI2 pilote Bertrand Piccard Payerne November 2014.jpg")

On April 29, 1979, the [Mauro Solar Riser](/wiki/Mauro_Solar_Riser "Mauro Solar Riser") became the first person\-carrying, solar\-powered aircraft to fly, with photovoltaic cells delivering  at 30 volts and charging a small battery, which powered the motor. Following a 1\.5\-hour charge, the battery could power the aircraft for 3 to 5 minutes to reach a gliding altitude. It followed a successful model test in 1974, as solar cells were developed, at the same period than with NiCad batteries.

Under the direction of Freddie To, an architect and member of the [Kremer prize](/wiki/Kremer_prize "Kremer prize") committee, the [Solar One](/wiki/Solar-Powered_Aircraft_Developments_Solar_One "Solar-Powered Aircraft Developments Solar One") was designed by David Williams and produced by Solar\-Powered Aircraft Developments. A motor\-glider type aircraft originally built as a pedal\-powered airplane to attempt the Channel crossing, the airplane proved too heavy to be successfully powered by human power and was then converted to solar power, using an electric motor driven by batteries that were charged before flight by a solar cell array on the wing. The maiden flight of Solar One took place at [Lasham Airfield](/wiki/Lasham_Airfield "Lasham Airfield"), Hampshire, on June 13, 1979\.

The [MacCready Gossamer Penguin](/wiki/MacCready_Gossamer_Penguin "MacCready Gossamer Penguin") first flew carrying a pilot in 1980\.

The [MacCready Solar Challenger](/wiki/MacCready_Solar_Challenger "MacCready Solar Challenger") was first flown in 1980, and in 1981 flew 163 miles from [Pontoise Aerodrome](/wiki/Pontoise_Aerodrome "Pontoise Aerodrome"), north of Paris, to [Manston Royal Air Force Base](/wiki/RAF_Manston "RAF Manston") in [Manston](/wiki/Manston%2C_Kent "Manston, Kent"), England, staying aloft 5 hours and 23 minutes, with pilot Stephen Ptacek at the controls.

The human piloted [Solair](/wiki/Solair "Solair") 1, developed by Günther Rochelt, flew in 1983 with notably improved performance. It employed 2499 wing\-mounted solar cells.

The German solar\-powered aircraft "Icaré II" was designed and built by the institute of aircraft design (Institut für Flugzeugbau) of the [University of Stuttgart](/wiki/University_of_Stuttgart "University of Stuttgart") in 1996\. The leader of the project and often pilot of the aircraft is Rudolf Voit\-Nitschmann, the head of the institute. The design won the Berblinger prize in 1996, the EAA Special Achievement Award in Oshkosh, the Golden Daidalos Medal of the German Aeroclub and the OSTIV\-Prize in France in 1997\.

[Solar Impulse 2](/wiki/Solar_Impulse_2 "Solar Impulse 2") is powered by four electric motors. Energy from solar cells on the wings and horizontal stabilizer is stored in lithium polymer batteries and used to drive propellers. In 2012 the first [Solar Impulse](/wiki/Solar_Impulse "Solar Impulse") made the first intercontinental flight by a solar aircraft, flying from [Madrid](/wiki/Madrid "Madrid"), Spain to [Rabat](/wiki/Rabat "Rabat"), Morocco. Completed in 2014, Solar Impulse 2 carried more solar cells and more powerful motors, among other improvements. In March 2015, the aircraft took off on the first stage of a planned round\-the\-world trip, flying eastwards from [Abu Dhabi](/wiki/Abu_Dhabi "Abu Dhabi"), United Arab Emirates. Due to battery damage, the craft halted at [Hawaii](/wiki/Hawaii "Hawaii"), where its batteries were replaced. It resumed the circumnavigation in April 2016Amos, Jonathan. ["Solar Impulse grounded until 2016"](https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-33538442), BBC News, 15 July 2015 and reached [Seville](/wiki/Seville "Seville"), Spain, in June 2016\. The following month it returned to Abu Dhabi, completing its circumnavigation of the world.

### General aviation

[thumb\|The [Air Energy AE\-1 Silent](/wiki/Air_Energy_AE-1_Silent "Air Energy AE-1 Silent") ultralight electric motorglider received its type approval in 1998\.](/wiki/File:Air_Energy_AE-1_Silent_D-MZOB.jpg "Air Energy AE-1 Silent D-MZOB.jpg")

An application is as a sustaining motor or even a self\-launching motor for [gliders](/wiki/Glider_%28sailplane%29 "Glider (sailplane)"). The most common system is the [front electric sustainer](/wiki/Front_electric_sustainer "Front electric sustainer"), which is used in over 240 gliders. The short range is not a problem as the motor is used only briefly, either to launch or to avoid an outlanding (an unplanned landing while soaring).

The first commercially available, non\-certified production electric aircraft, the [Alisport Silent Club](/wiki/Alisport_Silent_Club "Alisport Silent Club") self\-launching [glider](/wiki/Glider_%28sailplane%29 "Glider (sailplane)"), flew in 1997\. It is optionally driven by a  DC electric motor running on  of batteries that store  of energy.

The first certificate of airworthiness for an electric powered aircraft was granted to the [Lange Antares](/wiki/Lange_Antares "Lange Antares") 20E in 2003\. Also an electric, self\-launching  glider/sailplane, with a  DC/DC brushless motor and [lithium\-ion batteries](/wiki/Lithium-ion_battery "Lithium-ion battery"), it can climb up to  with fully charged cells.[06\.09\.2011: SWR.de The Research Aircraft Antares DLR H2 and Antares H3](http://www.lange-flugzeugbau.com/htm/english/news/news.html)  The first flight was in 2003\. In 2011 the aircraft won the 2011 Berblinger competition.

In late 2000s Chinese manufacturer of radio\-controlled models [Yuneec International](/wiki/Yuneec_International "Yuneec International") developed and tested several battery\-powered manned fixed\-wing aircraft, including [E430](/wiki/Yuneec_International_E430 "Yuneec International E430"), the first electric aircraft designed to be serially produced, but failed to commercialize them (only prototypes were built) and in mid\-2010s turned to the lucrative consumer drone market.

The [Taurus Electro](/wiki/Pipistrel_Taurus "Pipistrel Taurus") was the first two\-seat electric aircraft to have ever flown, while the Taurus Electro G2 is the production version, that was introduced in 2011\. Powered by a  electric motor and lithium batteries for self\-launching to an altitude of , after which the engine is retracted and the aircraft then soars as a sailplane. It is the first two\-seat electric aircraft to have achieved series production.

As pilot training emphasises short flights, several companies make, or have demonstrated, light aircraft suitable for initial flight training. The [Airbus E\-Fan](/wiki/Airbus_E-Fan "Airbus E-Fan") was aimed at flight training but the project was cancelled. [Pipistrel](/wiki/Pipistrel "Pipistrel") makes light sport electric aircraft such as the [Pipistrel WATTsUP](/wiki/Pipistrel_WATTsUP "Pipistrel WATTsUP"), a prototype of the [Pipistrel Alpha Electro](/wiki/Pipistrel_Alpha_Electro "Pipistrel Alpha Electro"). The advantage of electric aircraft for flight training is the lower cost of electrical energy compared to aviation fuel. Noise and exhaust emissions are also reduced compared with combustion engines.

The [Bye Aerospace eFlyer 2](/wiki/Bye_Aerospace_eFlyer_2 "Bye Aerospace eFlyer 2") (formerly the Sun Flyer 2\) is a light electric aircraft designed and under development by Bye Aerospace of Denver, Colorado. The aircraft was first publicly introduced on 11 May 2016, and first flew on 10 April 2018\.

On 10 June 2020, the [Velis Electro](/wiki/Velis_Electro "Velis Electro") variant of the two\-seat [Pipistrel Virus](/wiki/Pipistrel_Virus "Pipistrel Virus") was the first electric aircraft to secure [type certification](/wiki/Type_certification "Type certification"), from the [EASA](/wiki/European_Union_Aviation_Safety_Agency "European Union Aviation Safety Agency"). Powered by a 76 hp (58 kW) electric motor developed with [Emrax](/wiki/Emrax "Emrax"), it offers a payload of , a cruise speed of 90 kn (170 km/h), and a 50 min endurance. Pipistrel plans to deliver over 30 examples in 2020, to be operated as a [trainer aircraft](/wiki/Trainer_aircraft "Trainer aircraft").

On 12 October 2021, [Diamond Aircraft](/wiki/Diamond_Aircraft_Industries "Diamond Aircraft Industries") announced the development of the e[DA40](/wiki/DA40 "DA40"), targeting a 2022 first flight and a 2023 EASA/FAA Part 23 certification, tailored to the flight training market. The two\-seat aircraft is expected to be able to fly for up to 90 minutes, with 40% lower operating costs than piston power. The eDA40 has a planned three\-seat variant for future release. 
The eDA40 had its initial flight on 20 July 2023\.

[thumb\|Integral E](/wiki/File:Integral_E.jpg "Integral E.jpg")

On 19 February 2024, [Aura Aero](/wiki/Aura_Aero "Aura Aero") rolls\-out its first prototype of Integral E.

### Airliner projects

[thumb\|[NASA Electric Aircraft Testbed](/wiki/NASA_Electric_Aircraft_Testbed "NASA Electric Aircraft Testbed")](/wiki/File:NASA_Electric_Aircraft_Testbed.jpg "NASA Electric Aircraft Testbed.jpg")

The [NASA Electric Aircraft Testbed](/wiki/NASA_Electric_Aircraft_Testbed "NASA Electric Aircraft Testbed") (NEAT) is a NASA reconfigurable [testbed](/wiki/Testbed "Testbed") in [Plum Brook Station](/wiki/Plum_Brook_Station "Plum Brook Station"), Ohio, used to design, develop, assemble and test electric aircraft power systems, from a small, one or two person aircraft up to  [airliners](/wiki/Airliner "Airliner"). NASA research agreements (NRA) are granted to develop electric\-propulsion components. That programme was cancelled in 2023\.

In September 2017, UK budget carrier [EasyJet](/wiki/EasyJet "EasyJet") announced it was developing an electric 180\-seater for 2027 with [Wright Electric](/wiki/Wright_Electric "Wright Electric"). Founded in 2016, US [Wright Electric](/wiki/Wright_Electric "Wright Electric") built a two\-seat proof\-of\-concept with 272 kg (600 lb) of batteries, and believes they can be scaled up with substantially lighter new [battery chemistries](/wiki/Electric_battery%23Comparison "Electric battery#Comparison"). A 291 nmi (540 km) range would suffice for 20% of Easyjet passengers. Wright Electric will then develop a 10\-seater, eventually an at least 120 passengers single aisle, short haul airliner and targets 50% lower noise and 10% lower costs. Jeffrey Engler, CEO of Wright Electric, estimates that commercially viable electric planes will lead to around a 30% reduction in energy costs.

On March 19, 2018, [Israel Aerospace Industries](/wiki/Israel_Aerospace_Industries "Israel Aerospace Industries") announced it plans to develop a short\-haul electric airliner, building on its small [UAS](/wiki/Unmanned_aircraft_system "Unmanned aircraft system") electric power systems experience. It could develop it in\-house, or with a startup like Israeli [Eviation](/wiki/Eviation_Alice "Eviation Alice"), U.S. [Zunum Aero](/wiki/Zunum_Aero "Zunum Aero") or Wright Electric.

Australia\-based [MagniX](/wiki/MagniX "MagniX") has developed an electric [Cessna 208 Caravan](/wiki/Cessna_208_Caravan "Cessna 208 Caravan") with a  motor for flight durations up to an hour.
The company's Magni5 electric motor produces continuously ,  peak at 2,500 rpm at 95% efficiency with a 53 kg (117 lb) dry mass, a 5 kW/kg power density, competing with the ,  [Siemens SP260D](/wiki/Siemens_SP260D "Siemens SP260D") for the [Extra 330LE](/wiki/Extra_EA-300 "Extra EA-300"). By September 2018, a  electric motor with a propeller had been tested on a Cessna iron bird. The  Caravan first flew in 2020 and by 2022 MagniX estimates electric aircraft will have ranges of  by 2024\. The motor ran on a test [dynamometer](/wiki/Dynamometer "Dynamometer") for 1,000 hours. The iron bird is a Caravan forward fuselage used as a test bed, with the original [Pratt \& Whitney Canada PT6](/wiki/Pratt_%26_Whitney_Canada_PT6 "Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6") turboprop engine replaced by an electric motor, inverter and a liquid\-cooling system, including radiators, driving a [Cessna 206](/wiki/Cessna_206 "Cessna 206") propeller. The production motor will produce  at 1,900 rpm, down from the test motor's 2,500 rpm, allowing the installation without a reduction gearbox. On 28 May 2020, the MagniX electric\-powered nine\-passenger [Cessna 208B](/wiki/Cessna_208B "Cessna 208B") *eCaravan* flew on electric power, towards commercial operation certification.

A 560\-kW (750\-hp) MagniX electric motor was installed in a [de Havilland Canada DHC\-2 Beaver](/wiki/De_Havilland_Canada_DHC-2_Beaver "De Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver") seaplane. [Harbour Air](/wiki/Harbour_Air "Harbour Air"), based in [British Columbia](/wiki/British_Columbia "British Columbia"), was hoping to introduce the aircraft in commercial service in 2021, for trips under 30 minutes initially, until range increases as better batteries are introduced. On December 10, 2019, it made its first flight of four minutes duration from the [Fraser River](/wiki/Fraser_River "Fraser River") near [Vancouver](/wiki/Vancouver "Vancouver"). The normally\-fitted [Pratt \& Whitney R\-985 Wasp Junior](/wiki/Pratt_%26_Whitney_R-985_Wasp_Junior "Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior") piston engine of the six\-passenger Beaver was replaced by a 135 kg (297 lb) [magni500](/wiki/MagniX%23Products "MagniX#Products"), with swappable batteries, allowing 30 minute flights with a 30\-minute reserve. By April 2022, flight testing of a certifiable version through a [STC](/wiki/Supplemental_type_certificate "Supplemental type certificate") was delayed until late 2023, to carry four passengers and a pilot on 30 minute flights with a 30\-minute reserve. Magnix is seeking [FAA](/wiki/Federal_Aviation_Administration "Federal Aviation Administration") certification for its 640 kW (850shp) Magni650 aircraft engine, while battery provider [H55](/wiki/H55 "H55") (a spin\-off from Solar Impulse) is pursuing [EASA](/wiki/EASA "EASA") approval.

A demonstrator for the German [Scylax E10](/wiki/Scylax_E10 "Scylax E10") 10\-seater should fly in 2022\. It should be used by [FLN Frisia Luftverkehr](/wiki/FLN_Frisia_Luftverkehr "FLN Frisia Luftverkehr") to connect [East Frisian islands](/wiki/East_Frisian_islands "East Frisian islands") with its  range and 300 m (980 ft) [short takeoff and landing](/wiki/Short_takeoff_and_landing "Short takeoff and landing") distance.

On 23 September 2020, [Gothenburg](/wiki/Gothenburg "Gothenburg")\-based [Heart Aerospace](/wiki/Heart_Aerospace "Heart Aerospace") presented its ES\-19 design, a 19\-seat all\-electric commercial aircraft planned to fly by mid\-2026\.
With a conventional aluminium airframe and wing, its planned range is 400 km (222 nmi) and expects to operate from runways as short as 800 m (2,640 ft).
Initially targeting airlines operating in the [Nordic countries](/wiki/Nordic_countries "Nordic countries"), Heart has received "expressions of interest" for 147 ES\-19 aircraft worth about €1\.1 billion or US$1\.3 billion (€ million or $ million each) from at least eight airlines. Backed by Swedish venture capitalist [EQT Ventures](/wiki/EQT_Ventures "EQT Ventures"), Nordic governments and the [European Union](/wiki/European_Union "European Union"), Heart was initially funded by the Swedish innovation agency [Vinnova](/wiki/Vinnova "Vinnova") and is an alumnus of Silicon Valley start\-up accelerator [Y Combinator](/wiki/Y_Combinator "Y Combinator").

On 22 March 2021, [Toulouse](/wiki/Toulouse "Toulouse")\-based Aura Aero announced the development of its ERA (Electric Regional Aircraft), a 19\-passenger electric aircraft, planned to be certified in 2026\.


When will the demonstrator for the Scylax E10 fly?