On Oct. 20, 2023, Eviation Aircraft, the manufacturer of Alice all-electric commuter aircraft, announced signing an agreement with Germany's flyVbird to supply 25 Alice aircraft, with options for 25 additional units. The use of electric aircraft is crucial for flyVbird's success as passengers become more conscious of their carbon footprint, and orders for Alice now total over $5 billion.
On Oct. 02, 2023, Beta Technologies announced the opening of an electric aircraft manufacturing plant and started production. The company has made substantial progress within the relative sanctuary of private ownership. The prototypes of Beta's electric aircraft will be manufactured on the same tooling and in the same building where certified production aircraft are scheduled to begin rolling off the line in 2025.
On July 25, 2023, GE Aerospace launched a new design for its hybrid electric aircraft testbed. This new livery design for the aircraft testbed for NASA's Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration (EPFD) project is a landmark effort to help prove the feasibility of hybrid electric flight for commercial aviation. GE Aerospace partnered with Boeing and its subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences to develop the hybrid electric test flights using a modified Saab 340B aircraft powered by GE's CT7 engines.
On Jun.19, 2023, MIT announced the development of a megawatt motor for electric aircraft, which will enable the electrification of regional jets. Building electric motors that match the power-to-weight ratios of jet engines has proven especially challenging, so most efforts have been restricted to smaller aircraft. The industry's stringent weight restrictions make electrifying aircraft difficult. MIT's new compact, lightweight design for a megawatt-scale motor could open the door to electrifying much larger aircraft.
Key Companies in the More Electric Aircraft Industry
- AMETEK Inc.
- BAE Systems plc
- Bombardier Inc.
- Elbit Systems Ltd.
- GE Aviation
- Honeywell International Inc.
- Raytheon Technologies Corporation
- Rolls-Royce Holdings plc
- Safran
- Thales Group
