Electric US aircraft manufacturer Bye Aerospace has announced the launch of an all-electric plane capable of speeds of up to 590 km/h that can fly up to 930km on one battery charge at a cruising speed of 520 km/h.
The company says it has already taken orders for the seven passenger plus pilot eFlyer 800. In developing the plane, Bye Aerospace is working with French technology group Safran, which is supplying the propulsion and energy management systems. For batteries, Bye uses energy dense lithium-sulphur cells from British manufacturer OXIS Energy.
Initial simulations suggest the eFlyer 800 will out do it conventionally powered competitors in being able to fly at altitudes of up 10.6 kilometres. This is significantly more than propeller-driven turboprop or piston engine planes that dominant the small aircraft segment because their engines lose power with altitude, but electric motors don’t.
“The eFlyer 800 is the first all-electric propulsion technology airplane that achieves twin-turboprop performance and safety,” says George E. Bye, founder and CEO of the company. “This type of remarkable economy and performance is made possible by the electric propulsion system and advanced battery cell technology that results in significantly higher energy densities.”
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