A startup has unveiled its design for a fully electric passenger jet that can seat up to 90 passengers, with plans to launch it within the next 10 years.
The E9X concept, designed by the Dutch company Elysian, is a battery-powered plane that can fly up to 500 miles (800 kilometers) on a single charge based on a theoretical battery pack of 360 watt-hours per kilogram — the standard measure of battery density. By contrast, a Tesla battery has a density of between 272 and 296 Wh/kg according to Inside EVs. With future improvements, the startup hopes to boost the plane’s range up to 620 miles (1,000 km).
The design of the E9X, and the core technology that powers it, is based on a collaboration with researchers at the Delft University of Technology.
Most literature suggests battery-electric aircraft are only feasible for shorter-range trips of up to 250 miles (400 km) with up to 19 passengers on board. As a result, most real-world efforts have focused on designing regional or inter-city electric aircraft.
The E9X aircraft will include an integrated battery pack into the wings, a low wing configuration and folding wing tips. The plane has an energy consumption of 167 Wh/km per passenger, meaning it requires 167 watts to carry one passenger one kilometer. The plane they designed has an energy consumption of 167 Wh per passenger-kilometer, meaning it takes 167 watt-hours to ferry each passenger a kilometer. This equates to “an environmental impact well below” kerosene, electro-fuelled sustainable aviation fuel (eSAF), or hydrogen-based alternatives. The authors added this environmental impact is comparable to land-based modes of transport, such as today’s electric cars.
The E9X won’t be the first electric passenger aircraft to take flight, if and when it does in 2033. The first electric passenger plane was Eviation Alice, designed to accommodate up to nine passengers and two crew — with its manufacturer first testing a prototype in September 2022 ahead of a target date of 2027 for full production, company representatives said. It has a range of approximately 250 nautical miles (approximately 288 miles or 463 km).
According to the livescience
