The Eviation Alice is an electric aircraft that was conceived to be a short haul mainstay. With a proposed range of 450 nm, it could fly from San Diego to San Fransico. Ideally, it would replace aircraft such as the Embraer 175, albeit with less passengers. However, the project soon faced a multitude of challenges.
For starters, the range was found to be closer to 250 nm instead of the proposed 450 nm. During a test flight of the second prototype, multiple flaws in the flight time, structure, and aerodynamics of the aircraft were discovered. Therefore, the designers decided to scrap the model for a completely new prototype, adding years and millions of dollars to the process. For a new company, it was certainly brutal. In fact, it was so bad that we may never see the airplane take flight for a commercial airline.
The plane itself is undeniably beautiful. It’s sleek, slender wings with double tail propellers make it unique and luxurious. But that beauty actually has a hidden benefit: aerodynamics. The engineers at Eviation did an exceptional job making an aircraft that both feels and looks like the future. However, it is clear that having these slenderer wings impacts the range, as there is less space to store the batteries.
The Alice was once thought as a surefire success, but recent updates have shown that it’s path to commercial viability is far from certain. Hopefully, with good management and designs, the Alice can soon become a reality.