Electron Targets 2027 Flight For E5 Electric Prototype

Dutch startup Electron is fundraising to build a full-scale flying prototype of its all-electric E5 Albatross aircraft. The non-type-conforming aircraft will include recent design revisions and is expected to make its first flight in 2027.

An earlier iteration of the five-passenger aircraft concept, for which work started in 2021, featured a front lifting wing reminiscent of the Piaggio P.180 Avanti. This has now been removed, with Electron believing this added unnecessary complexity for minimal performance enhancement. Twin pusher propellers have also been substituted for wing-mounted tractor propellers, and a high T-tail replaces an earlier cross-tail.

Speaking to AIN at the recent Aero Friedrichshafen show, Electron CEO and co-founder Josef Mouris explained that a recent external design review concluded that the company has now “reached a high level of maturity for this stage and had progressed ahead of expectations.” Now Mouris hopes an ongoing fundraising round will facilitate the production of an initial airworthy prototype.  

To date, Electron has largely been funded by high-net-worth individuals. Although Mouris acknowledged that the period of peak cash investment in electric aircraft projects may have passed, he believes Electron’s recent commitment to a full-size flying aircraft is bolstering investor confidence.

E5 Albatross

Although nominally a six-seater, the five-passenger E5 includes baggage capacity: targeting a total payload of around 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds). Projected maximum range, using existing battery technology, is expected to be 750 kilometers (405 nm) including reserves.

According to Mouris, a key part of Electron’s intellectual property is the battery pack’s ability to slide fore and aft within the aircraft’s rear fuselage. This allows the aircraft’s center of gravity to be adjusted depending on occupancy.

Along the port side of the carbon-fibre fuselage, a large door gives all occupants direct access to their seating, while also facilitating the loading of cargo for the freighter variant. According to Electron, around 90% of the supplier base for the program has been identified and it expects to announce a large Tier 1 aerospace partner in the coming months.

Mouris said the aircraft is targeting an hourly operating cost less than that of the twin-engined Diamond DA-62. Its inspiration, he explained, came during the pandemic: spurred on by the belief that no aircraft in development truly fit the mission profile required by a regional operator.

Electron is targeting EASA CS-23 certification and entry into service by 2031, at which point it hopes battery maturity will enable a range of up to 1,000 kilometers (540 nm). A final assembly line could be built in Germany or France, Mouris concluded, with the company targeting an initial production rate of 40 aircraft a year.