All-electric aircraft manufacturer Eviation Aircraft has revealed ‘Alice’, the first all-electric commuter plane to debut at the Paris Air Show. To meet existing and pre-sale purchase orders for Alice, Eviation will complete its first flights and begin manufacturing in the US in 2019 and, in conjunction with commercial customers and the FAA, will bring certified fleets to market in 2022.

Targeting highly-trafficked ‘middle mile’ commutes around the world for routes such as France's Paris to Toulouse, Norway's Oslo to Trondheim and America's San Jose to San Diego, Alice is designed to bring about a radical rethinking of the cost, experience and environmental impact of regional travel. Air carriers could replace fleets with electric options that dramatically reduce maintenance and operating costs. Alice could reduce those carrier costs by up to 70 per cent, says Eviation, while bringing travellers a cost-competitive, emission-free option.

The model is a culmination of four years of design and collaboration with an ecosystem of partners that spans France, Italy, Singapore, Germany, South Korea, Australia, the US and Israel. Working hand-in-hand with partners that include Honeywell (flight-by-wire systems), Siemens (EPUs), Hartzell (propellers), magniX (EPUs) and Magnaghi Aeronautica (LG), Eviation is looking to make Alice a harbinger of a new era in aviation. Eviation has extended its network to include the collaboration with AeroTEC, which will lead Alice's flight tests and first flight in Moses Lake, Washington and serve as a partner for certification.

“Capable of flying with nine passengers at 240 kts and a range of up to 650 miles, we are thrilled to introduce Alice to the aviation world,” says CEO Omer Bar-Yohay. “Operating at a fraction of the costs of conventional jet liners, our Alice will redefine how people travel regionally and usher in a new era of flying that is quieter, cleaner and cost-effective.

“On behalf of the suppliers within Alice's anatomy, we are humbled to recognise this debut as more than an unveiling, in fact a historic milestone within the aviation industry. With the introduction of Alice, we welcome an all-new breed of airplanes for the first time in 50 years and it is only the beginning of a bright future for electric aviation and sustainable transportation.”