The aircraft, called Eco Caravan, considerably reduces fuel consumption by 70%, in addition to reducing the cost of operation by between 25% and 40% depending on the structure of the airline’s route, after incorporating a fully integrated hybrid-electric powertrain, leading a revolution for the future, as it is expected to be the first regional aircraft to enter commercial service, with certification in 2024.

Mechanically, it has an integrated Ampaire propulsion system comprising a compression ignition engine and an electric motor. In addition, it integrates a battery module (with a range of 1,000 miles) located in a fairing of the body of the aircraft, retaining capacity for passengers (9) and cargo.

“Aviation is the most difficult industry to decarbonize. All-electric aircraft have limited range due to the weight and energy capacity of batteries currently in use. However, hybrid-electric aircraft can preserve the range and utility of current aircraft. That’s why we are focusing on hybrid-electric propulsion for a range of increasingly capable regional aircraft. It’s a resource for the airline industry to decarbonize faster and also benefit from lower operating costs,” said Kevin Noertker, Ampaire’s CEO.

Related content: World’s First Electric Seaplane Moves Closer and Closer to Realization

The First Flight

A 33-minute flight made history as the first hybrid-electric flight to perform initial propulsion system checks. Under the command of pilot Elliot Seguin, the aircraft took off from Camarillo Airport (north of Los Angeles, USA) at 7:49 am (PT), lifting its altitude to 5,500 feet with full power, employing both the electric and combustion engines.

Subsequently, power was reduced to converse flight cruise level, thus reducing the load on both power units. After approximately 20 minutes, where various power configurations were tested while other controls such as temperature were studied, the landing proceeded to complete 1,075 flight miles.

“The Eco Caravan aircraft propulsion system performed as expected. It was smooth and quiet. All temperature and power readings were normal,” said Seguin after the flight.

Written by | Ronald Ortega

The post Ampaire Performs First Flight on a Regional Hybrid-Electric Aircraft appeared first on Green Racing News.

The development will take place in Spain. Based in Alava, this organization will be an important ally for the project through the manufacture of essential elements: fuselage, tail and wings, which are precisely part of Aernnova’s specialty, qualities that Heart Aerospace has highlighted at the moment of the alliance.

The electrified aircraft is expected to be operational by 2026, and will be based on an aluminum structure with retractable landing gear, a T-shaped tail, a high wing and a non-cylindrical fuselage designed so as not to interfere with the interior living space.

“Aernnova has an impressive track record and outstanding reputation in the industry. We couldn’t be more excited to partner on the design of the ES-19 airframe. They bring airframe design, manufacturing and certification expertise to our project, so we look forward to working hand-in-hand to reinvent regional air travel together,” said Anders Forslund, founder and CEO of Heart Aerospace.

Related content: Heart Aerospace to Provide 100 Electric Aircraft to United Airlines

Up to 400 kilometers of range will be offered by the ES-19 via a 400 kW lithium-ion battery pack and electric motor. However, as the years go by, the aircraft’s features could evolve.

Now, one of the most outstanding aspects of Heart Aerospace will be sustainability of this project at all times, since in addition to being a zero-emission air vehicle, the manufacturing will be as well, following the company’s declaration as a completely neutral firm. Also, the operation and maintenance costs will be lower than what can be seen today.

About Heart Aerospace

Heart Aerospace is an electric aircraft company based in Gothenburg, Sweden. Founded in 2018, the company is a derivative of the Elise research program funded by the Swedish government through the Vinnova Innovation Agency. Heart Aerospace is one of the founding members of the Nordic Electric Aviation Network, together with airlines, airport operators and other stakeholders in the Nordic countries.

About Aernnova

Aernnova is a company specializing in aerostructure design, manufacturing, certification and support, as well as a supplier to major aircraft manufacturers worldwide. With $1 billion in pre-covid revenues and more than 4,500 employees, Aernnova is present in Spain, the United Kingdom, Mexico, the United States, Brazil and China.

Written by | Ronald Ortega

The post Aernnova will Develop Key Parts of Heart Aerospace’s ES-19 Electric Airplane appeared first on Green Racing News.

The aircraft’s engines will have a power of 2 MW each (8 in total) of megawatt class. The WrightSpirit will base its concept on the BAe 146 platform. The firm behind the project announced thatthey are working on the aircraft, with the first tests scheduled for 2003, although the entirepowertrain will not be electrified at that time. Only one will be sustainable, while the rest will beconventional.

Before then, the team designated to work on the plane will have to tackle a series of tests andchallenges to determine theideal elements, as well as the optimum propellants. Wright Electricassures to have everything to elaborate the motors with scalable powers and high efficiencyinverters.

A very important detail that has not been revealed so far is the energy source. In fact, it is not knownif it will have a battery, which would mean a huge size and weight to fit in the structure to meet thedemand required to fly.

Related content: Jetson One: Radar-controlled eVTOL Reaches 100 km/h

The Routes of the Wright Spirit

It willbe used for short, one-hour flights where the main destinations or busiest places arecontemplated. Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Asia are on the list of the companyproposed to free commercial flights from emissions, an important factor in slowing down climatechange.

Europe

Frankfurt – Paris

Paris – London

Stockholm – Copenhagen

Lisbon – Madrid

America

New York – Boston

New York – Washington

San Francisco – Los Angeles

São Paulo – Rio de Janeiro

Atlanta-Orlando

Middle East

Doha – Dubai

Istanbal – Izmir

Riyadh – Medina

Asia

Hong Kong – Taipei

Kuala Lumpur – Singapore

Tokyo – Osaka

Seoul – Jeju

Wright Spirit Timeline

2021: Engine and inverter development.

2022: Development of propulsion fan.

2023: Flight: one electric motor.

2024: Flight: two electric motors.

2025: Flight: all four electric motors.

2026: Wright Spirit enters service.

About Wright Electric

Wright Electric is a start-up company aimed to reduce aircraft emissions. The company defines itselfas the holders of a novel propulsion system and upcoming aircraft reducing emissions without theneed for offsets. We are reducing zero-emission flight at the same cost as operating a fossil fuel fleetand disrupting 100 years of aviation along the way. The goal is to make all single-aisle flights under800 miles zero-emission.

Written by | Ronald Ortega

The post Spirit: The Zero emission Electric Aircraft Planning to Fly in 2026 appeared first on Green Racing News.

The prototype has been designed by Tecnalia and acquired by Umiles, with the firm objective of maintaining a long-term union that promotes the future of sustainable mobility by air. This ‘cab of the skies’ can transport one person per trip through scheduled flights of 15 minutes long, if they are located within a 15-kilometer radius.

It can reach heights of 100 meters and 300 meters as standard measurements. However, the Umiles New Concept by Tecnalia has the capacity to soar up to 800 meters, as long as it complies with all the relevant safety measures. The capsular cabin shape is totally aerodynamic to favor stability and mobility.

Unlike other aerial vehicles equipped with specialized rotors, this model comes with four drones distributed at the bottom and top to allow displacement. It is expected that this Umiles bet will be one of the main options when people opt for this futuristic means of transportation.

Related content: Get to Know the Electric Flying Taxi Being Tested by NASA

“Our purpose is to improve people’s quality of life through the development of sustainable transportation for anyone, anywhere in the world. In this context, the Umiles New Concept by Tecnalia aircraft was born to optimize transportation within urban centers and improve the increasing mobility problems in cities around the world,” said Carlos Poveda, CEO of Umiles, while presenting the vehicle as part of the Expodrónica held on Tuesday in Madrid.

About Umiles

Founded in 2016, Umiles is the largest Spanish unmanned aerial systems (UAS) company. They offer 360º tailor-made services at national and international level. Operation, training, development and management of unmanned systems are some of their main activities oriented to operational quality and service excellence through innovative solutions.

Written by | Ronald Ortega

The post Umiles: Details of the 100% Electric Air Taxi appeared first on Green Racing News.

The future of sustainable motorsport will have a lot to do with technology, and there, the Australian company will play a fundamental role by being responsible for the virtual race control system, practically in real time. This process is a necessary step for the correct operation of aerial vehicles.

Data processing and interpretation will be crucial when developing flight strategies for the Airspeeder races. This is precisely where Telstra Purple comes into play, and it will also serve to keep an eye on pilot safety once the eVTOLs are enabled to have a pilot inside.

Related content: 5 Things You Need to Know About Airspeeder

Additionally, this company will offer users and viewers a unique and realistic deep immersion through 5G technology via augmented reality devices, taking a step forward regarding how sports will be enjoyed in the near future.

“Cutting-edge racing requires cutting-edge capability which we have delivered through the extensive experience, technical capabilities and our strategic partnership agreement with AWS from Telstra Purple, combined with state-of-the-art 5G in Australia,” said Christopher Smith, Director of the Oceania business.

“As we deliver on our vision to create the world’s first racing series for electric flying cars, we have been attracted to South Australia by some of the best technical minds in motorsport, aviation and high performance automotive. We are thrilled to add to this incredible pool of talent with the capabilities of Telstra Purple,” said Matthew Pearson, Airspeeder Founder.

About Telstra Purple

Telstra Purple is the largest Australian-owned technology services company, bringing together the business capabilities of Telstra Enterprise and several of its recently acquired technology solutions-focused companies. The brand has more than 2,000 certified experts covering networking, security, cloud, collaboration, mobility, development, software design, data and artificial intelligence as part of its core business.

Written by | Ronald Ortega

The post Airspeeder Join Forces with Telstra Purple appeared first on Green Racing News.

In this regard, the British luxury company Rolls-Royce successfully completed the test flight of the first fully electric aircraft. This craft, named Spirit of Innovation, marks a milestone for the industry, as it represents a major step towards the elimination of fossil fuels in air transportation.

It is a single-propeller aircraft with a classic look, but inside it is far more modern than many of the existing ones. It has a 400 kW electric motor powered by 6,000 battery cells, the most dense in the world, according to the manufacturer. The manufacturer details in a statement that the objective is to get the maximum possible power out of the engine to reach more than 300 miles per hour, which is about 480 kilometers per hour.

Earth-friendly Innovation

Warren East, CEO of Rolls-Royce noted that they are focused on producing the technological advances needed by society to decarbonize transportation by air, land and sea.

“It’s not just about breaking a world record. The advanced battery and propulsion technology developed for this program has exciting applications for the urban air mobility market and can help make ‘jet zero’ a reality,” he added.

Read also: Women at the front! Female Staff to Operate Ola Electric’s Scooter Factory

Meanwhile, Company Commercial Secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, noted that “the first flight of the groundbreaking Rolls-Royce’ Spirit of Innovation aircraft marks a major step forward in the global transition to cleaner forms of flight. This achievement, and the records we expect to follow, show that the UK remains at the forefront of aerospace innovation.”

For the test flight, the Rolls-Royce aircraft took off from the UK Ministry of Defense headquarters, and flew for approximately 15 minutes. The location has a long tradition of experimental flights and this one marks the beginning of an intense phase in which they will gather valuable performance data on the aircraft’s electrical power and propulsion system. 

The Acceleration of Flight Electrification (“ACCEL”) program, includes key partners such as YASA, manufacturer of controllers and electric motors, and Electroflight, for aviation commissioning. The ACCEL team has continued to innovate while adhering to social distancing guidelines and other UK government health rules.

Following the completed expedition, Rolls-Royce is working with Tecnam Airframe and Scandinavian regional airline Widerøe on all-electric passenger aircraft. If all runs on schedule, we could see them ready in 2026.

Written by I Jhonattan González

The post Rolls-Royce Unveils First Powerful All-Electric Aircraft appeared first on Green Racing News.

The transition to electric transportation is not only taking place in terms of vehicles, as trains, ships and airplanes, are also included in this process. In fact, air mobility is one of the most carbon-intensive sectors, which is why devoting time and money to developing this industry is extremely important.

Eaton has patented this technology to refuel airplanes by charging electricity, achieving an efficiency point that surpassed 96%, fully suitable for electrified aircrafts, either conventional or eVTOL. Similarly, it can also be used in cars, although its main function will be air mobility.

Related content: Meet the Electric Flying Taxi being tested by NASA

Skycharge has also been endorsed to provide energy to airplanes with V2G, Vehicle-to-grid, technology. This will be possible thanks to the technological system that enables power to be transmitted to the aircraft (or vice versa) depending on the requirements during the moment of connection.

On the other hand, the charging base will not be fixed, i.e., if for any reason the aerial vehicle cannot be brought to the refueling point, a mobile unit using GB/T socket will provide the facility to fulfill its function without moving the aircraft. On the contrary, the equipment will arrive wherever it is needed.

What is Skycharge?

This project is led by Green Motion and Pipistrel. These two companies have decided to work together for sustainable mobility, achieving optimal results after obtaining EASA approval. It should be noted that Green Motion is part of Eaton, a company dedicated to energy management, which is the architect of the current charging system.

About Green Motion

Green Motion manufactures charging stations, designs management software for charging networks, operates charging stations and operates as a provider of electric mobility services. Green Motion creates innovative technologies, including charging stations for electric aircraft and on-board chargers for the automotive industry.

About Pipistrel

Pipistrel is a world-leading designer and manufacturer of small aircraft specializing in high-performance, energy-efficient and affordable aircraft. With over 30 years of experience, Pipistrel has produced over 2200 aircraft to date, earning a significant international reputation for delivering unique and innovative products to passionate customers on every continent.

Written by | Ronald Ortega

The post First Charging Station for Electrified Aircraft Approved appeared first on Green Racing News.