Elysian makes strides with EV-powered aircraft capable of carrying 90 passengers

Elysian announced an electric battery-powered aircraft capable of carrying 90 passengers today.

Unveiled at the Scitech 2024 show, Elysian aims to revolutionize air travel with electrification. The company is collaborating with Delft University of Technology, to redefine the aviation industry’s sustainability standards at the conference. The company has raised $10 million so far.

Coming out of stealth mode, the company said it plans to develop a battery-electric aircraft capable of accommodating 90 passengers, based on pioneering design principles. The research indicates a plane could travel up to 800 kilometers solely on battery power, with a battery pack energy density of 360 Wh/kg.

This news challenges the perception of battery-electric flying as suitable only for smaller aircraft and short distances.

Key findings indicate that flights up to 1,000 kilometers, accounting for 50% of all scheduled flights, contribute significantly to aviation-related carbon dioxide emissions. However, Elysian’s proposed aircraft design could potentially mitigate this environmental impact, making it an economically viable and competitive solution.

The new design principles focus on critical parameters, showcasing the feasibility of battery-electric aircraft capable of carrying 40 to 120 passengers across ideal distances. Utilizing innovative concepts such as span loading, low-wing configuration, and capitalizing on the intrinsic advantages of electric propulsion, the design aims to enhance efficiency while reducing drag and weight.

The company hopes the endeavor could significantly reduce the aviation industry’s ecological footprint, with projections indicating up to six times greater energy efficiency per passenger kilometer compared to other sustainable aircraft technologies.

Despite these promising findings, technical challenges remain, primarily concerning battery integration and thermal management. To address these hurdles, Elysian has forged partnerships with leading academic institutes, including Delft University of Technology, Twente University of Technology, National Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium (NLR), and Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR).

Elysian’s journey began with Rob Wolleswinkel’s vision in 2020 and gained momentum through aerospace investor Panta Holdings. Cofounders Daniel Rosen Jacobson and Reynard de Vries joined the initiative, leading to the establishment of Elysian in 2023.

Wolleswinkel, the co-CEO and CTO, brings extensive aerospace engineering expertise, having worked at Fokker Aircraft and the Royal Netherlands Airforce. Jacobson, the co-CEO and Chief Business Officer, brings strategic business acumen from his tenure at Google EMEA and sports streaming startup MyCujoo.

Reynard de Vries, the director of design and engineering, leverages his Delft University of Technology background and research experience in electric aircraft design to drive Elysian’s technological advancements.

Elysian has recently been established to continue the development of this aircraft, aiming to be
operational by 2033.

Elysian is backed by aerospace investor, Panta Holdings, partial owner of former aircraft manufacturer Fokker and French financier Caravelle for a total of $10 million.

Battery-electric flying has traditionally been seen as a niche technology suitable only for smaller
aircraft and short distances. As a result, it has not been widely considered a viable solution for
making the aviation industry more sustainable.

This perception is now challenged with the release of two scientific papers, by Elysian (Rob Wolleswinkel and Reynard de Vries) together with researchers from Delft University of Technology (Maurice Hoogreef and Roelof Vos, the team behind Flying V).

Instead of looking at conventional aircraft as a reference for battery-electric aircraft, the researchers show that the first-generation narrow-body jets are a better reference. These were fuel-inefficient, were designed for long ranges, and therefore had to carry lots of ”energy mass..

The same is true for battery electric aircraft, in this case because batteries contain relatively little energy per kg. A battery-electric aircraft must be designed with the same mass ratios in mind as a 1960 jet aircraft.

It then presents several parametric designs that show the feasibility of battery-electric aircraft with 40 to 120 passengers, capable of flying approximately 1000 km in ideal conditions, including: Span Loading, or putting the batteries in the wing to put the load where the lift is and use available wingbox volume. This reduces aircraft weight in many ways.

There is also low-wing configuration: Thanks to distributed electric propulsion (DEP), the propeller diameter can be reduced, enabling a low-wing configuration with gear attached, which leads to a shorter, lighter landing gear and lighter fuselage.

Low drag is a free gift: by definition, this aircraft has, compared to current fossil fuel aircraft, a larger wing and a smaller fuselage. This reduces drag with ~15%, purely by these different dimensions, without any additional advanced aerodynamic technology.