Major milestone for Swedish hybrid plane maker
Hybrid electric plane maker Heart Aerospace has unveiled its first full-scale demonstrator plane. The achievement marks a major milestone in the development of its 30-seat regional hybrid-electric aircraft.
The new demonstrator has been built almost entirely in-house at its Gothenburg facilities. Initially, it will be used for ground-based testing, focusing on charging operations, taxiing, and turnaround procedures. It is scheduled to undertake a fully electric first flight in the second quarter of 2025.
“Our industry is approaching a 30-year innovation cycle, and we have less than 25 years to decarbonize aviation. We need to develop new methods to get net zero aerospace technologies to market faster,” said Anders Forslund, co-founder and CEO of Heart Aerospace, in a press release.
“It is a testament to the ingenuity and dedication of our team that we’re able to roll out a 30-seat aircraft demonstrator with a brand-new propulsion system, largely inhouse, in less than two years.”
Development of the demomstrator has been funded in part by grants provided by the Swedish Innovation Agency, Vinnova.
“Developing innovative net zero aerospace technologies demands a revolution in product development and manufacturing, much like what we’ve witnessed in the automotive and space industries,” said Ben Stabler, Chief Technology Officer at Heart Aerospace, in a press release.
The Gothenburg-based company is targeting type certification of its aircraft, named the ES-30, by the end of the decade.
Heart Aerospace was founded in Gothenburg in 2019. To date the company has raised over USD 145 million and is backed by leading climate tech VCs and strategic investors.
Gothenburg is a hotspot for electrification in Europe with progressive brands including Volvo, Volvo Cars, Polestar, Einride, Zeekr, Stena and Einride having their HQ and/or R&D activities here. Novo Energy, a joint-venture between Volvo Cars and Northvolt, is establishing a battery gigafactory and R&D centre which will create around 3,000 jobs in the region.
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