All-Electric Plane Startup Eviation Aircraft Secures Orders For 150 Units

Israeli electric plane startup Eviation Aircraft said it has signed on two more customers for its all-electric commuter aircraft and secured more than 150 orders, Bloomberg reported last month. This is before the aircraft, dubbed Alice, has taken its first flight.

The company’s CEO Omer Bar-Yohay told Bloomberg both buyers are American and are recognized names in the aviation industry, but declined to name them before formal announcements are made next year.

The Tel Aviv-based company, established in 2016, developed and manufactured an all-electric nine-seat aircraft, aiming to make electric aviation a viable, sustainable, cost-effective option. In June 2019, the company debuted a prototype of the aircraft at the 53rd annual Paris Air Show, wowing the crowd with its commuter plane.

Bar-Yohay revealed at the time that Massachusetts-headquartered regional airline Cape Air would be the company’s first customer. According to Bloomberg, “work is already taking place” on installing infrastructure for the airline.

Bloomberg also said that talks were underway for a fourth possible client in Australia.

In September, NoCamels reported that Singapore-based conglomerate Clermont Group had acquired the startup, buying a 70 percent stake in the company.

Clermont Group said the agreement to purchase the shares was first entered into in January. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed

The company has $200 million worth of funding from backers that include the Clermont Group.

Eviation had aimed to have its first flight before Christmas this year, but Bar-Yohay says certification from the US Federal Aviation Administration is “slipping” toward 2022, according to Bloomberg.