The Takeoff of the Electric Airplane
The Heart ES-19 in United’s livery. (Photo Courtesy: United)
By: Lucas Rostler
Electric Airplanes are Coming, and They’re Here to Stay
The switch to electric is taking over every industry from cars, bikes, and now aviation. Even though Borrow is an automobile company, we were all fascinated by some recent developments in the electric aviation industry. In light of this excitement, here are the four electric planes that we at Borrow believe have the most promise!
Heart Aerospace ES-19
Heart Aerospace, a Swedish aviation startup, has received two major orders for their plane set to release in 2026, the ES-19. United Airlines and their partner Mesa Airlines (which operates as United Express) have announced their plans to purchase 100 ES-19’s respectively. These orders are conditional on Heart Aerospace meeting United and Mesa’s business, safety, and operating requirements by the purported delivery date of 2026.
United’s order is unsurprising considering the recent news that United’s venture capital fund, United Airlines Ventures, recently invested an undisclosed amount in Heart Aerospace. Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures also invested an undisclosed amount in the aviation startup.
This is certainly the most exciting and tangible step towards the electrification of the aviation industry because of its feasibility. Thanks to the savings on gas, the ES-19, a four propeller, 19-seat plane with a range of 250 miles, makes profitable routes that are historically not profitable. Heart Aerospace claims that compared to traditional jetliners, the ES-19 costs 100 times less to maintain and its engines cost 20 times less to operate. These significantly lower costs allow airlines to turn a profit on regional hops.
Beyond the ES-19’s lower operating costs, it also opens the door for a variety of smaller-demand routes because it can take off on runways as short as 2,500 feet, which allows airlines to land at airports that aren’t currently possible with the current planes in their fleet. Additionally with an estimated price of around $9 million, the ES-19 is less expensive than traditional jets. For reference, the smallest plane United Express currently operates is an Embraer ERJ-145, which seats 50 passengers and requires a runway length of about 5,500 feet to takeoff. The ERJ-145 costs around $20 million.
United Airlines has already stated that they plan to use the ES-19 on up to 100 routes, including Chicago O’Hare International Airport to Purdue University Airport and San Francisco International Airport to Modesto City-County Airport.
Eviation Alice
Another exciting development in the electric aviation world is the release of Eviation Aircraft's first electric plane, Alice, which is set to fly for the first time later this year. Similar to the ES-19, the Alice is extremely promising. DHL recently ordered 12 aircraft from Eviation set to be delivered in 2024. This order makes sense considering DHL’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2040 and their purported goal of an all-electric air freight network sometime in the future. Once delivered, DHL plans to fly these planes on routes within California.
The Alice can carry 2,600 pounds of cargo, fly up to 500 miles and fully charge in 30 minutes. This charge time allows for an instantaneous turnaround because unloading cargo takes at least 30 minutes. Another advantage, similar to the ES-19, is cost. A traditional plane costs between $300 and $400 an hour to operate, while Alice only costs $20 an hour, according to Eviation’s Chairman Roei Ganzarsk. Air cargo companies operate on thin profit margins, so electric planes like Alice will likely prove to have a lot of demand from air cargo companies.
Beyond the air freight sector, Eviation has also received interest in their 9-seat passenger variant of the Alice. Cape Air in particular has shown the most interest. This would be a huge win for Eviation because Cape Air is the largest regional airline in the United States, with routes focused between Boston Logan International Airport and smaller regional airports in Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket.
Archer Maker
United Airlines has proven to be the leader in the charge towards zero emissions aircraft with their order of another electric aircraft: the Archer Maker. Archer, a Santa Clara based aviation company, is planning to launch a five seat electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in 2024. United has conditionally ordered 200 makers for $1 billion, with the option to purchase 100 additional aircraft for $500 million.
Beyond its vertical take off and landing capabilities, the 12-rotor Archer Maker differs significantly from the Heart ES-19 in the way United plans to use it. With a range of 60 miles, this aircraft is intended mainly to shuttle people are cities. Routes like John F. Kennedy International Airport to Manhattan are quintessential examples of the market Archer is trying to tap into. This 17-mile drive can take anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes due to traffic. But on the Maker, this ride will take 10 minutes and cost $50 to $70, which is akin to an Uber.
Archer seems to be a promising investment from United for many reasons. To begin with, they have already managed to raise $1.1 billion in funding from various sources. Additionally, they produce 100 times less sound than a traditional helicopter and only cost $3 to $4 per passenger mile to operate. Not only is an aircraft this quiet likely to get approval for use in cities, but it’s also very affordable.
United’s order of 100 Archer Maker’s proves that they are leading the charge in the aviation industry towards a zero emissions future!
Lilium
A final exciting development in the electric aircraft industry is the $1 billion order Azul Airlines has made for 220 Lilium eVTOL aircraft. Lilium is a German aviation company who is in the process of developing a seven seat aircraft with a range of 155 miles. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2025, a realistic date considering that the production line is already 50% complete.
The Lilium and Azul partnership is similar to United and Heart Aerospace’s partnership in the sense that it is logistically feasible. Azul Airlines is the largest airline in Brazil in terms of number of cities serviced and daily departures. A plane with a range of 155 miles allows Azul to expand their domestic options to shorter, smaller capacity flights.
Additionally, Lilium has set the goal of certification in the U.S. and Europe by 2024 and has received over $300 million in investments from companies such as Airbus and BlackFly.
An Huge Step for the Electric Industry
The production of electric planes is truly an unbelievable step in the right direction for the electric transportation industry. Just 10 years ago the predominant narrative was that batteries were far too heavy to use efficiently in a plane. Now, today, we have electric planes on the order books of large companies like United Airlines, Azul Airlines, and DHL. In another 10 years, one can only imagine where the technology will be and what types of inventions entrepreneurs are going to come out with; whether electric vehicles, planes, helicopters, semi trucks, and more...
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