Largest Commercial Electric Plane Makes Its Maiden Flight
Were you under the impression that a nine-seat Cessna Caravan couldn’t run off of an electric motor? Well, now you’re wrong, because last week, an EV Caravan powered by MagniX motors made its first flight, with the help of another firm, AeroTec.
MagniX recently showed off their pair of electric aircraft motors, and airplane grade inverters, at a French airshow. The company outlined their plans to have short-distance air travel, between 50 and 1,000 miles, powered be electrons, which would see a reduction in operation costs of 60 – 70%!
The company’s 750 horsepower engine was specifically designed for mid-sized commercial aircraft like the Cessna Caravan. MagniX said that they envision this sort of plane as a competitive solution for pilots looking to deliver packages same-day, or commute into work from an otherwise impractical distance.
Of course, if you follow electrification of cars, you know the numerous benifits from a reliabililty and cost perspective. When having to scrutinize your vehicle to the level of an airplane, it would be an absolute game-changer to reduce the moving parts to the level of an electric propulsion.
According to MagniX, this engine and plane combination would have a range of around 100 miles. However, a series of their smaller engines in a different aircraft could have a much greater range in the coming years. The battery size used in the test wasn’t specified.
Get excited for the world of electric air-travel, if you weren’t already.
