The world’s largest battery-electric aircraft has completed a successful first flight, lasting 27 minutes and with an extremely low electricity cost.
Spanning 106ft and weighing more than 11,339 kilograms (11.33 tonnes) at takeoff, the aircraft from US-based Heart Aerospace is the largest battery-electric aircraft ever flown.
The flight took place on August 12 at Heart’s X1 flight-test base at Plattsburgh International Airport, a regional commercial airport serving a community of 20,000 people in upstate New York.
The piloted mission lasted 27 minutes, during which X1 – a technology demonstrator designed to test the company’s 30-seat ES-30 plane – reached an altitude of 1,100ft.
The flight included taxi, takeoff, climb, manoeuvring, and landing and was designed to demonstrate all-electric flight at a scale relevant to commercial airline operations.
Powered entirely by batteries, X1 used approximately $5 (£3.70) worth of electricity during its first flight, according to Heart Aerospace – less than the average price of a takeaway coffee in the UK (£3.97).
The journey is made amid a sustained surge in global jet fuel prices, which averaged $3.50 (£2.60) per gallon for the week ending August 7, up 63 per cent year over year.
This milestone highlights the potential for electric propulsion to deliver lower aircraft operating costs, while protecting airlines from the volatility of global oil markets.
‘With the first flight of X1, Heart Aerospace has demonstrated electric flight at the scale of a commercial airliner,’ said Anders Forslund, founder and CEO of Heart Aerospace.
‘Electric commercial aircraft have the potential to fundamentally reshape airline economics and, ultimately, lower the cost of air travel for passengers.
‘This is at the heart of our vision for abundant air travel, with electrification enabling more affordable, frequent, and cleaner air service to and from airports closer to home.’
X1 has attracted customer commitments from major air carriers including United Airlines and Air Canada.
‘The first flight of X1 is a major technical achievement for Heart Aerospace, a company United has been proud to support,’ said Michael Leskinen, chief financial officer and executive vice president of United Airlines.
‘Electric commercial aircraft have real potential to deliver a better travel experience for passengers while strengthening our business, and we look forward to Heart’s continued development of the ES-30 and its potential future role in United’s network.’
With entry into service targeted for 2031, Heart expects the ES-30 to reduce aircraft operating costs by more than 40 per cent compared with legacy regional aircraft.
This reduction is driven by lower energy costs, reduced maintenance requirements and greater aircraft uptime and reliability.
Heart is currently developing the first pre-production ES-30 at its pilot manufacturing plant in Los Angeles, with flight testing scheduled to begin in 2028.
Credit: BBC
