MOSES LAKE, Wash – An all-electric, prototype aircraft made its maiden flight Tuesday morning in central Washington state.
Seattle Times report that if the Federal Aviation Administration finally certified the small airliner carrying passengers, it could become the first all-electric commercial airliner.
The plane, built by the start-up company E, is built to carry nine passengers and two pilots. It took off from Lake Moses, Washington, at 7:10 a.m. Tuesday, and landed eight minutes later.
The company’s goal is to show that such electric planes can function as commuter planes flying at an altitude of about 15,000 feet (4,572 metres).
The plane, designed by engineers in Washington state and Israel, is powered by 21,500 small Teslas the battery cell.
