US company conducts electric plane test flight

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A U.S. company conducted its first electric plane test flight, flying the battery-powered “Alice” for 8 minutes in central Washington state.

Tuesday’s flight was a key step for Arlington, Washington-based Eviation Aircraft, which is aiming to deliver commercial passenger electric planes by 2027.

The plane flew at an altitude of 3,500 feet.

CEO Gregory Davis says the 2027 delivery goal will depend on advancement battery technology. The company already has orders for their planes from regional airlines.

Davis says that their business goal at first is to have planes for short distances between 150 to 250 miles with charging taking about 35 minutes.

Eviation will build two more planes for federal certification, which they hope will happen in 2025.