Fully charged in 45 minutes: Electric plane for 90 passengers with 800 km range

It’s no secret that commercial aviation is striving to reduce its environmental impact. However, it’s challenging to believe it will meet the net-zero emissions target by 2050, especially since sustainable aviation fuel is not yet in sight.

Unlike electric vehicles, electrifying aircraft is a real challenge because battery technology isn’t mature enough to meet these goals. Despite this, CNN reports that the Dutch startup Elysian is challenging this notion with plans to develop a fully electric plane with an 800 km range and a capacity for 90 passengers. This future aircraft can reduce emissions by 90% and is expected to fly commercially within a decade.

“Many experts say we need battery technology that will only be available around 2050 to achieve a reasonable range and payload capacity,” says Reinard de Vries, Elysian’s Head of Planning and Engineering. “But the question we asked ourselves was: ‘How do we achieve maximum range with the battery technology we already have?’ You can fly much further with battery-powered electric planes than most studies suggest if you make the right choices.”

Electric in the Air: Unconventional Design

The plane, named E9X, currently exists only on paper, but the plan is to produce a prototype by 2030. However, its main design features are already known—and they are quite surprising. “Don’t assume an electric plane will look like today’s most successful planes,” says de Vries, adding that a common misconception is that electric planes should be essentially electrified versions of the lightest jet planes.

This would result in a limited range, likely under 90 km. What you really need to do is design the plane from scratch.

The E9X will have eight propeller engines and a wingspan of almost 42 meters—larger than a Boeing 737 or Airbus A320, although both can carry more than twice as many passengers. Interestingly, the batteries will be placed in the wings, not the fuselage. “This is a critical design choice,” says de Vries. “Batteries represent a significant portion of the plane’s weight, and you want to place that weight where lift is generated.”

Additionally, the wheels will also be housed within the wings, not the fuselage, and the wingtips will be able to fold to save space. The E9X will be designed to fit current airport infrastructure without needing adjustments or upgrades. However, the battery charging time will be longer than regular refueling—about 45 minutes for a full charge. Importantly, the company claims that beyond reducing environmental pollution, the E9X will offer a quieter and more enjoyable flight experience.

The Israeli Connection

Currently, several companies are working on designing electric planes that will enter service earlier than the E9X, though these are much smaller passenger planes. One example is the British-American company ZeroAvia, which has successfully flown a 19-seat plane powered by two hydrogen-electric engines, aiming to put it into service by the end of 2025.

There is also the Israeli company Eviation, which has already tested its plane, named Alice—a fully electric passenger plane that can carry nine passengers and reach a range of about 460 km. The company aims to put the plane into use by 2027.