Meet Alice, world's first all-electric airplane which completed its first flight

An all-electric airplane named Alice successfully completed its first flight in central Washington state in the US this week, reports said.

The prototype built by Eviation Aircraft took two wide turns around the airfield and climbed to 3,500 feet before making a safe landing eight minutes later, a report by the Seattle Times said. People on the ground could hear the propellers in the back of the aircraft whirring and buzzing as it went directly overhead.


"People now know what affordable, clean and sustainable aviation looks and sounds like for the first time in a fixed-wing, all-electric aircraft. This ground-breaking milestone will lead innovation in sustainable air travel, and shape both passenger and cargo travel in the future," said Eviation President and CEO Gregory Davis.

Alice produces no carbon emissions, significantly reduces noise, and costs a fraction to operate per flight hour compared to light jets or high-end turboprops, said a release by the company.

The plane is designed to accommodate nine passengers and two pilots. It was designed and built by Arlington-based start-up Eviation to demonstrate the potential for an electric commercial commuter aircraft.

The aircraft has a weight of a little over 4 tons and is powered by slightly more than 21,500 small Tesla-style battery cells. The battery cells account for more than half of the carbon composite airframe's weight.

The name Alice was inspired by Lewis Carroll's fantastical stories of Alice's adventures in Wonderland.

Alice is available in three variants including a nine-passenger commuter, an elegant and sophisticated six-passenger executive cabin, and an eCargo version. All configurations support two crew members.

Alice is powered by two magni650 electric propulsion units from magniX, the only flight-proven electric propulsion systems at this scale. Other key suppliers include AVL (battery support), GKN (wings), Honeywell (advanced fly-by-wire system, flight controls and avionics), Multiplast (fuselage), Parker Aerospace (six technology systems), and Potez (doors).