Japan forms ECLAIR consortium for electric aircrafts

Japan set up a new consortium called ECLAIR for Electrification Challenge for Aircraft – electric planes in other words. Members include the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) as well as industrial heavyweights from Mitsubishi over Kawasaki to Subaru.

The objective of the ECLAIR consortium is twofold: developing innovative electric technology to reduce CO2 emissions and also incubate initiatives for the benefit of the whole industry.

ECLAIR aims to develop purely electric airplanes through the Next Generation Aeronautical Innovation Hub Center. Specifically, the consortium first wants to develop a shared vision of future electric aircraft on which to built further technological advances.

An open forum (theme pending) is scheduled for December 2018 to publish the initiatives taken by the consortium.

The full list of members apart from JAXA includes IHI Corporation, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Subaru, Hitachi, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Aero Engines and Mitsubishi Electric as well as the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).

jaxa.jp, aero.jaxa.jp (consortium)