Transportation, by its design, is any industry heavily dependent on hydrocarbon fuel. While many means of transport have been shifted to renewable energy sources (read: trains), others, like road transport vehicles are surely on a robust trajectory towards the same. Electric vehicles, as an idea, was born in the early 19th century, with almost all large automobile companies having a clear electric vehicle strategy. This begs a question – when will we see commercial electric aircraft?

The answer is – very soon!

The world’s first all-electric commercial plane was launched in May 2019. Known as ‘Alice’, the 9-seater aircraft is developed by Israeli aviation company Eviation. It is expected to enter service in 2022.

Electric aircraft are expected to have as much as 80% savings on fuel cost per hour of flight time as compared to normal aircraft. This, along with lower maintenance costs, makes Alice an interesting proposition.

Alice already has its first customer in US-based airline Cape Air.

Watch this video by the YouTube channel The Points Guy | TPG for a sneak peek into the aircraft:

Cover credits: Matti Blume