Get to know the design of the E9X electric aircraft

One of the challenges of modern aviation is saving fuel, and with the E9X electric aircraft it could be possible.

Dutch startup Elysian is challenging that assumption with its plans for an all-electric regional aircraft with a range of 805 kilometers and room for 90 passengers.

The E9X electric aircraft is capable of reducing emissions by 90% and aims to fly commercially within a decade.

“Many experts say you need battery technology superior to [anything available until] 2050 to achieve reasonable range and payload capacity,” says Reynard de Vries, director of Design and Engineering at Elysian.

The E9X electric aircraft, only exists on paper for now: Elysian plans to build a scale model in two to three years, and a full-scale prototype in 2030.

However, its main design features, which are somewhat surprising, are already known.

The E9X electric aircraft will have eight propeller engines and a wingspan of almost 42 meters, larger than a Boeing 737 or an Airbus A320, although both can carry more than twice as many passengers, as well as a slimmer fuselage.

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The design of the E9X electric airplane.

The design of the E9X electric aircraft is the result of collaboration with Delft University of Technology, the oldest and largest technical university in the Netherlands, and its principles are explained in a scientific paper entitled “A new perspective on battery-electric aviation,” co-authored by de Vries and Rob Wolleswinkel, co-founder of Elysian.

According to de Vries, battery technology will be similar to what it is today, plus advances over the next four to five years, rather than a radical step forward.

“That opens up different scenarios,” he adds.

“The most conservative puts the useful range at 482 kilometers, but we think a more realistic target, four years from now, is 805 kilometers.”

Finally, from a passenger perspective, he believes the E9X will offer a quieter and more pleasant flying experience, and aims to solve one of the most pressing problems in travel today: the shortage of cabin baggage space.

At the same time, Swedish manufacturer Heart Aerospace is working on a 30-passenger aircraft called the ES-30 that would have a range of only 185 km in all-electric configuration.

If Elysian can overcome the technological and infrastructure challenges, it will face the commercial challenge of entering a fiercely competitive market.