The first serial produced electric airplane purchased in Finland, the Pipistrel Alpha Electro, is scheduled to take its maiden flight in Finland on 31 July 2018 at 10 a.m. at the Helsinki-Malmi Airport. The use of electricity in aviation reduces emissions into the atmosphere and noise around airports. The solution being investigated in this project is to use fully electric motors in small airplanes and hybrid technology in bigger passenger airplanes.
“We believe that the electrification of transportation is one of the most effective ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions” said Heli Antila, Chief Technology Officer, Fortum. “We have been a pioneer in the development and expansion of the charging infrastructure for electric vehicles in the Nordic countries. Now we want to apply the experience we’ve gained about the EV charging infrastructure in the development of the rapidly evolving electric aviation”.
Project Manager Tapio Poutiainen from Fortum, added that by participating in this first electric airplane project in Finland, the company will gain valuable knowledge about the charging of electric airplane batteries, battery life and power consumption during the different phases of flying. This information can then be applied in the development and building of the aviation infrastructure.
According to Janne Vasama from the Helsinki Electric Airplane Association, an electric airplane is cheaper to use compared to conventional airplances. Therefore, it enables more people to enrol in flight school. The use of an electric airplane in flight school could decrease the cost of training by up to one third.
Image: Fortum
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