A Washington-based electric-powered airplane company intends to sell 50 commuter aircraft to an airline serving Florida, the Bahamas and the Caribbean.
The nine-passenger, two-pilot aircraft — dubbed “Alice” after one of the co-designers listened to “White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane while he worked — is scheduled to go through its first test flight by the end of September, said Eviation spokesperson Lauren Lewis.
Eviation is based about 40 miles north of Seattle in Arlington. The first flight of its Alice model will take place at an airfield in the Central Washington town of Moses Lake, which is used for test flights by various aircraft companies.
The company has signed a letter of intent to sell 50 Alice aircraft to Miami-based Global Crossing Airlines, which serves the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America, the two companies announced Thursday.
“We are delighted to enter this agreement with GlobalX, whose investment in zero-emissions flight demonstrates the airline’s commitment to cleaner skies, lower operational costs, and the provision of the most innovative options for air travel, Eviation CEO Gregory Davis said in a press release. “Quieter, smoother and with a cabin design that defines the future, the in-flight experience aboard the Alice will offer GlobalX passengers a new way to fly.”
“We plan to offer the aircraft to our cruise line, tour operators, leisure travel providers, and business clients with a need for short-haul charter flights across Florida,” said Ed Wegel, CEO of GlobalX, in the same press release. “The Alice aircraft will allow us to offer sustainable, regional flights to and from major markets, and is the first step in our initiative to be a zero-carbon emissions airline by 2050.”
In an email to NetZero Insider, Lewis said the sale is the third in the works for Eviation. The other deals include the sale of 12 Alice cargo planes to Germany-based logistics and freight corporation DHL, and 75 Alice commuter planes to Massachusetts-based Cape Air. Cape Air provides commuter service for the northeastern United States, the Caribbean, Midwest and eastern Montana.
The Alices will be built in Arlington. Delivery times to the prospective customers are still be worked out, Lewis wrote. Eviation declined to provide sales price figures.
The installation of charging stations for the all-electric aircraft is still being worked out, with the process encompassing airports, fixed-base operators, airlines and manufacturers, Lewis wrote.
First unveiled at the Paris Air Show in 2019, the twin-engine prototype had been developed in Arlington. It has a range of 440 nautical miles with a cruise speed of 250 knots. Its maximum takeoff weight is 16,500 pounds.