The German company H2FLY, which specialises in the development of hydrogen fuel cell systems for aircraft, is taking over project management in the HEAVEN project. The project will test the first passenger aircraft flying on liquid hydrogen (LH2) in 2023.
The US conglomerate Textron, which produces Cessna and Beechcraft aircraft, is acquiring the Slovenian electric aircraft manufacturer Pipistrel. Upon completion of the transaction, Textron plans to form a new business unit called Textron eAviation for the development of sustainable aircraft.
The fledgling electric aircraft developer Airflow from California wants to commercialise its first model from 2025. The company, founded in 2019, calls its model eSTOL and wants to rely on hybrid and battery-electric as well as fuel cell systems for its propulsion.
The Skycharge solution developed by Green Motion and Pipistrel was recently approved by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) as the world’s first OEM-independent electric aircraft charging station.
Slovenian aircraft manufacturer Pipistrel is working on a zero-emission regional aircraft with 20 seats, which should be available between 2028 and 2030. The Miniliner concept now unveiled could fly on hydrogen, although Pipistrel says it is still evaluating various propulsion solutions.
Pipistrel has received an order for its EASA certified electric aircraft Velis Electro through Green Aerolease. The company specialising in aeroplanes as a service (AAS) will lease the e-planes to pilot schools in cooperation with the FFA.
The latest generation of the world’s first four-seater hydrogen fuel cell aircraft, the Hy4, has now been unveiled at Stuttgart Airport. The latest generation of the Hy4’s propulsion system recently received test flight permission, which means that the model can now take off at Stuttgart Airport.
Slovenian aircraft manufacturer Pipistrel is introducing a new series of unmanned aircraft with hybrid propulsion for cargo flights. The Nuuva series of aircraft take-off and land vertically and purely electrically, using a combustion engine for the actual flight.
The aircraft manufacturer Pipistrel and the charging station supplier Green Motion want to jointly design the future charging of electric aircraft in line with EASA guidelines.
With the certification of the Pipistrel Velis Electro, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has issued the first type certification for a purely electrically powered aircraft. The two-seater electric aircraft of the Slovenian manufacturer Pipistrel is mainly intended for pilot training.
The aircraft manufacturer Pipistrel from Slovenia has just signed an MoU with Australia’s Eyre to There Aviation for the rights to manufacture Pipistrel’s small e-plane Alpha in Australia. The agreement would make Eyre to There the first Australian company to build an electric aircraft.
After a small electric plane was tested by the Slovenian manufacturer Pipistrel in Norway, it now took to the skies again in Finland for another test flight. This time the Pipistrel Alpha Electro took off from the Helsinki-Malmi airport.
In Oslo an electric mini-plane made by Slowenian manufacturer Pipistrel took off for a short test flight with the Norwegian minister for transport Ketil Solvik-Olse. The Alpha Electro G2 aircraft was piloted by Dag Falk-Peterson, head of the state-owned company Avinor, which operates Norwegian airports.
The Slovenian manufacturer successfully completed first test flights with its 2-seat electric aircraft in Australia. Just a few months ago, it received a Special Certificate of Airworthiness from Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
Inner city vehicle: Austrian transport specialists HET Engineering will test a second prototype of its CityLog EMF in Austria this year. The fuel cell powered car is small enough to navigate narrow and congested streets. While it is currently designed for deliveries only, it could be repurposed to transport people. A first prototype hit the road in 2010. esa.int
eTwinster technology: GKN is showing off its new electric torque vectoring technology in northern Sweden. The plug-in module makes it easier for platforms to offer electric all-wheel drive and torque vectoring by combining eAxle technologies with twin-clutch torque vectoring technology. The eTwinster could be programmed and integrated for production within the next three years. prnewswire.com, greencarcongress.com
Pipistrel power tests: The Slovenian aircraft maker Pipistrel kicked off a test series of its Hypstair hybrid-electric powertrain, which combines a battery and turbonormalized engine-driven generator. The project involves work from MBVision, the Universities of Pisa and Maribor, as well as Siemens, who supplied the electric drive system. It is also supported by a European Union Technological Research Program. avweb.com
“Fun-to-drive” CT6: Cadillac revealed the technical details of the latest addition to its line-up. The PHEV has a combined system power of 335 kW and goes from 0-100 kph in 5.6 seconds. It has an all-electric range is estimated at over 60 km with an all-electric top speed of 125 kph. Cadillac says its new car was not only designed to be efficient, but also “fun to drive.” greencarcongress.com
Kia goes West: The Kia Soul EV will go on sale in Oregon and Washington state, taking the cubist EV beyond California. 20 dealerships will start selling the electric car, while ten of them get fast charging stations on top. The remaining are required to install AC chargers and offer free charging to customers. greencarreports.com, greencarcongress.com
Road tax reform: British drivers will face an increase in road tax unless they are driving a zero-emission vehicle. The biggest polluters will have to pay double (2,000 GBP) from April 2017, while low emission vehicles will still be charged 140 pounds a year. Time to switch to electric. dailymail.co.uk, telegraph.co.uk
Fisker gets real: The New Fisker wants to starts production of the Karma successor by mid-2016 and already began hiring new employees for its California facility. Engineers are currently using old Karma vehicles to test improvements. greencarreports.com
Discounted Honda hybrid: Honda will offer (unadvertised) buying incentives of up to 2,000 dollars for its CR-Z Hybrid Coupe in the U.S.. It can also be leased for 199 dollars per month for 36 months, with 2,699 dollars due at signing. The offer is good through the end of July. greencarreports.com
The race to cross the English Channel electrically is on. Small electric aircraft maker Pipistrel – whose plane is powered by a Siemens engine – claims that it was ready to fly, but was asked by Siemens to refrain from doing so due to safety concerns. Or maybe it is because Airbus will attempt the same flight? flyer.co.uk