Aviation history beckons next year in upstate New York.
When Swedish manufacturer Heart Aerospace’s Heart X1 demonstrator lifts off on its maiden voyage from Plattsburgh International Airport (KPBG) in early 2025, it will become the largest fully electric aircraft to ever fly. The demonstrator is a precursor to Heart’s ES-30—a 30-seat, hybrid-electric regional airliner set to hit the market before the end of the decade.
According to the company, Plattsburgh International’s location in upstate New York’s Champlain Valley offers plenty of airfield infrastructure and airspace, as well as “strong community support for transportation technology initiatives.”
The valley is also home to electric aircraft and charging system manufacturer Beta Technologies, which has received tens of millions of dollars in state funding.
“Electric commercial airplanes have the potential to lower operating costs for U.S. airlines, creating a powerful opportunity to reestablish regional air routes that stimulate local economies, boost tourism, and enhance access to urban hubs,” said Anders Forslund, co-founder and CEO of Heart. “We’re impressed by the leadership shown by New York’s North Country region in the support of next generation airplanes.”
Heart said its X1 demonstrator is undergoing extensive testing ahead of the experimental test flight. The goal of the campaign is to validate the core electric propulsion system that will also be present on the ES-30.
The company estimates its flagship production model will have a range of 124 sm (108 nm) at full capacity when flying solely on electric power, doubling when hybrid propulsion kicks in. With a smaller load of 25 passengers, the range stretches to about 497 sm (432 nm).
The model is designed for short-haul regional routes and will incorporate Honeywell’s fly-by-wire flight control system, with four electric motors powered by batteries. It will be certificated under the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA) CS-25 large aeroplanes category.
Heart is backed by Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures group, which also includes billionaire business moguls Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Richard Branson, and Mark Benioff, among others. The company last year said it had received 250 firm ES-30 orders with options and purchase rights awarded for 120 more, including large orders from United Airlines, Mesa Airlines, and Air Canada.