In a First Step Towards Autonomous Regional Flight, Eviation Debuts All-Electric Prototype Aircraft at 52nd International Paris Air Show 2017

Eviation is ushering in the next wave of aviation innovation with a design that is fully-electric from the outset. This holistic approach has led to a re-envisioning of core component designs, including the airframe, propeller and motor, placing an emphasis on maximizing flight efficiency and energy usage. With an IP portfolio that includes thermal management and autonomous landing, Eviation’s craft faces zero regulatory hurdles, as it is compliant with today’s certification requirements, and is in talks with a growing number of regional flight operators.

“We are witnessing a new age in aviation as advances in energy storage and aircraft design bring electric, on-demand air transit within reach,” said Mark Moore, Uber Engineering Director of Aviation. “Our focus at Uber is in galvanizing the ecosystem necessary for urban VTOL electric vehicles to thrive for 20-60 mile trips that can provide massive time savings over ground transportation for long trips in cities. In parallel, we are encouraged to see bold new players like Eviation tackling challenges in different sectors using electric aviation; these players will help catalyze demand for new battery and rapid recharging technologies that are crucial to enable electric flight.”

Just as shared, electric, and autonomous vehicles are disrupting ground transportation, air mobility presents an opportunity to reshape where we choose to live, work, play and explore. Though regional transit functions as the backbone of transportation systems, local operators can spend up to 7 percent of their operating costs in maintenance and ensuring planes are at the right place at the right time. Offering passengers the comfort and stability of a jetliner, at a cost that rivals any existing form of transit today, Eviation’s electric aircrafts are flying proof of concept missions, and will move into certification and commercialization in 2018. The company expects to perform the first commercial flights as early as 2021.

“At a time when we are more connected than ever, our mobility options must adapt to reflect this new, efficient future,” said Omer Bar-Yohay, CEO of Eviation Aircraft. “Whether it is a zero emissions, low-cost trip from Silicon Valley to San Diego, or Seoul to Beijing, our all-electric aircraft represents a chance for people to move with the speed and impact our global economy now demands.”

About Eviation Aircraft

Eviation Aircraft Ltd. is developing and manufacturing efficient, electric aircraft in an effort to make electric aviation a fast, competitive, and sustainable answer to the on-demand mobility of people and goods. Its distributed propulsion, high-energy density batteries, mission-driven energy management, and new airframe are designed from the ground up to maximize these technological advances for regional flight operators. Eviation is a member of NASA’s on-demand mobility program, and serves on the electric propulsion and innovation committee of the General Aviation Manufacturers’ Association (GAMA).