Orders for a new all-electric airplane now top 150

Electric-plane startup Eviation Aircraft says it has signed up 2 more customers for its pioneering commuter aircraft, taking the order backlog to more than 150 planes. Both buyers are American and are recognised names in the aviation industry, CE Omer Bar-Yohay said Thursday, declining to name them before formal announcements early next year. Eviation’s plane, the Alice, is in the vanguard of a push into all-electric models, with the company betting its 9-passenger capacity and 650-mile range will attract environmentally conscious buyers in a commuter market served by a variety of light aircraft. Running costs will be about US$200 per flight hour versus $1,000 for a turboprop, though the model will be slower than some conventional craft. Eviation now expects its first flight next year. <br/>