In September 2020, Heart Aerospace disclosed the electric propulsion system that is required to power the ES-19 airliner, that it believes will be ready to enter the market in 2026. The ES-19 features four propellers that are powered by electric motors. The primary design for the aluminum-fuselage, fixed-wing model exhibits winglets and a tail that is T-shaped. This is a bit similar to a small-scale form of the De Havilland Canada Dash 7.

As stated by Forslund, Heart is expected to publicize several partners who will provide major systems for ES-19 and possibly contribute to the manufacturing as well. Furthermore, Finnair’s purchase would enable Heart to achieve its goal of flying carbon neutral by 2045, as it has an objective of reducing carbon dioxide by 50% from its fleet by 2030.

In 2019, Finnair joined the NEA, Nordic Network for Electric Aviation, which has provided a platform for corporations and airlines to establish sustainable means of traveling. The Norwegian government has also given out instructions for all domestic flights to use electric aircraft by 2040. In Sweden, all domestic airlines have been given the mandate to run without fossil fuel by 2030, which will affect international flights by 2045. The Swedish government also intends to introduce charges on takeoff and landing from July which it presumes will encourage the use of more fuel-efficient aircraft with minimal carbon emissions.

According to Heart, the all-electric aircraft is estimated to fly up to 400 km (217nm), at a speed of 215 knots and operate on runways with distances as short as 750 meters (2461 feet), as well as cruise at speeds of 180 knots. The corporation maintains that these low speeds will not be a drawback to short sectors as the ES-19 will be able to operate from small-scale airfields which are less crowded thus minimizing door-to-door travel times.

In a bid to address infrastructure requirements, Finnair would have to develop smaller airports to enable flights between smaller towns and cities. Anne Larilahti, Finnair head of sustainability explained, “You need to recognize what is required at the airports as well, as you cannot expand faster than the obtainable resources that hold up these airplanes.”

Charging points will be necessary at every airfield where the electric aircraft lands and takes off. While Heart maintains that the ES-19 batteries could be fully charged by ground crews 1000 times over their lifetime, the aircraft would require charging each time they land.

Larilahti ultimately mentioned how the cold weather in the Nordic region makes it the ideal place to launch electric aviation technology. “Our cold weather affects operating a light airplane and batteries. If we can do it here, it will be easier to do it elsewhere.”

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Photo Credit: Heart Aerospace

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This reality makes it necessary for aviation to become sustainable. Even though many carriers are increasing efficiency and offsetting emissions, the industry needs to progress from carbon-based fuels like gasoline to cleaner, renewable energy sources. In 2016, the ground-breaking Solar Impulse plane traveled 24,855 miles around the world powered only by solar energy. The jet, however, only carried two pilots, yet it showed promise.

Electric planes afford efficiency since they are estimated to be 10% more efficient than traditional planes and entirely emission-free. They are also much quieter than conventional aircraft, allowing them to operate near residential and business areas. Electric aircraft can also take off and land on fairly short runways or even vertically, meaning they can be used in cities, where ground transportation creates congestion, and they can also easily reach remote areas.

So, what is holding up electric aircraft? Electric batteries store 40 times less energy per unit of weight than jet fuel, meaning they are not powerful enough to propel commercial jets. New battery chemistry would be needed to make electric planes viable.

Despite the odds, several projects are underway to develop electric aviation planes:

Wright Electric, a US startup, is developing an all-electric powered airliner that can fly up to 335 miles, covering short-haul routes like London to Paris or New York to Boston, and can carry up to 186 passengers. Wright Electric recently partnered with EasyJet, since its electric planes could cover a fifth of the airline’s current flight routes. They expect to have an electric aviation plane in the air in the next 20 years.

Israeli startup Eviation is working on the Alice Commuter, an electric plane that can carry nine passengers up to 650 miles at a cruising speed of 240 knots. The Alice Commuter uses airframe design and the latest lithium-ion battery technology to exceed the 400Wh/kg mark and lift 65% of the aircraft’s weight. The Alice Commuter is expected to debut in 2021.

Alpha Electro II, a two-seater electric aircraft powered by a special lithium-polymer battery with an energy density of around 175Wh/kg, is aiming to cover all Norwegian short-haul flights by 2040.

E-Genius, a fully electric-powered airplane developed at the University of Stuttgart, can fly 250 miles with two crew members at 142 miles per hour.

Airbus has joined Siemens and Rolls-Royce to create the E-Fan X, an electric plane range. The prototype E-Fan crossed the English Channel in 2015, powered solely by electricity. It hopes to take flight in 2020 for short-haul commercial flights. The plane uses a gas turbine to power an electric generator, which makes it a hybrid-electric plane.

Vahana and CityAirbus are being developed by Airbus. The Vahana is an unmanned electrical aircraft that can land and take-off vertically and carry passengers and cargo within a city. The plane was successfully tested in February 2018. The CityAirbus is also self-piloted and can carry four people. The CityAirbus will be tested in 2018.

Boeing is working with JetBlue Technology Ventures on the Zunum Aero, a hybrid-electric aircraft that can carry 12 passengers, with a range of 700 miles. It is being designed to transition to full electrical power once a more powerful battery is developed.

The NASA X-57 Maxwell is an experimental electric plane with 14 electrical motors integrated into a wing. It had its first test flight in 2017 and is set to fly properly in 2018.

The Pipistrel Alpha Electro uses a 60-kilowatt electric engine made by Siemens and can remain airborne for an hour. The company is in discussions with Uber about using the aircraft in cities since it has vertical take-off and landing capabilities.

The future of electric aviation looks bright, though further developments may surprise us and we may all be flying in electric aircraft sooner than later.

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