Vaeridion has come to EBACE’s Innovation Pavilion looking to advance plans to disrupt both regional air services and the business aviation market with its all-electric Microliner. The German start-up is working to certify the aircraft in Europe by 2030 and deliver a 217-nm range with nine passengers.
In April, Bosch General Aviation Technology signed a memorandum of understanding to back the Microliner program. The offshoot from the German automotive group will help with the electric drive technology.
The Microliner design incorporates a modular battery system in the wings, which Vaeridion said will be easy to maintain and also readily upgraded when improved battery performance is available. Intended to enhance glide ratio and energy efficiency, carbon fiber will be used to make the long wing.
“We have our first generation of battery modules in production and testing right now,” Vaeridion CEO Ivor van Dartel told AIN. “They are not ready for flight yet, but by the time we will be flying—2027—and then for certification, I would say 400 kilometers minimum range [is possible] because other industries are propelling the development of battery technology,” and capacities are advancing over time.
Bosch’s capabilities in testing and development of electric drive technology will complement the small team already working on the airplane. Its aviation division is EASA EN9100 certified and involved in developing electric drive technology. The new collaboration will be housed near Munich to leverage Bosch’s expertise and testing facilities to accelerate the development of a novel propulsion system with dual electric motors that offer redundancy for its single propeller.
Reduced Operating Costs Promised
The aircraft features a dual flight deck but will be designed to be optionally operated by a single pilot, while the cabin could be configured for more spacious business-class seating. Munich-based Vaeridion is aiming to simultaneously reduce flying costs and emissions, while opening up routes and accessibility, especially to smaller communities that currently don’t have scheduled flights.
According to van Dartel, the Microliner’s projected range would allow operators to fly to alternate airports under instrument flight rules with a 5% reserve. The aircraft will be pressurized and have a ceiling of about 20,000 feet, although the ideal altitude for missions will be at about 8,000 feet in spite of potential increased turbulence.
Unlike with combustion engines that burn more efficiently at higher altitudes, van Dartel explained that when climbing with the Microliner, “there is a penalty on the range, because the electric propulsion system has the same efficiency regardless of the altitude, and you use more energy in the climb.”
According to Vaeridion, the Microliner will target operators offering ticket prices on par with current regional airline rates, but with the appeal of getting travelers closer to their destinations. The company has also reached partnership agreements with business aviation operators in Europe, including Aero-Dienst—which flies for the medical emergency insurance group ADAC—and aircraft management and charter group ASL.
Van Dartel envisions the Microliner being a great transportation enabler for midsized specialist companies in countries such as Germany that have somewhat complex travel needs. “So you have, somewhere in a medium-sized town, a company that makes the best pressure valve sealants in the world, like something you never knew existed, and it’s very precise. And they do business with everybody,” he explained.
“And then maybe they have a plant in the east and a design office in the west. And then they purchased another company in the Czech Republic, and executives travel extensively by car for work. The Microliner would help fill this travel niche, reducing travel time, emissions, and outlay simultaneously.”