Swedish company Heart Aerospace, which is developing the electric aircraft ES-19, has raised just over SEK 300 million. Investors include American airline giant United Airlines.
”"Now we will show that we are not only an innovative startup company but also a real aviation company," says CEO and founder Anders Forslund - who also tells us when the first test flight will take place.
In hangars at Säve Airport in Gothenburg, Heart Aerospace is developing an electric aircraft that should be ready for commercial traffic in 2026. The model is called the ES-19 and is powered solely by batteries and an electric motor. The ambition is to build an aircraft that is not only climate-friendly but also cheaper than its fossil-fueled counterparts. Heart Aerospace also highlights that the electric aircraft – which has room for 19 passengers – will be significantly quieter.
According to the company, both the purchase price and operating costs will be kept below current levels. Given the desired characteristics, the Swedish-developed electric aircraft has the potential to revolutionize domestic aviation; short-haul flights currently account for 85 percent of all departures. The category also accounts for 45 percent of emissions.
Heart Aerospace has announced that it has raised over SEK 300 million in a funding round led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, United Airlines and Mesa Air Group. Existing owners such as EQT and Lowercarbon Capital have also contributed. Heart Aerospace was founded in Gothenburg in 2018 and attracted capital from EQT and Norrsken Foundation the following year.
United Airlines has previously pledged to reduce its emissions by 100 percent by 2050 – without using carbon offsets.
”"We are proud to partner with Mesa Air Group to offer our customers electric flight earlier than any other American airline," says company CEO Michael Leskinen in a press release.
”It’s an exciting day. This is something we’ve been working on for a long time, and now we finally get to share it. It feels huge to us.”
Anders Forslund says that the previous milestone was to show that the electric motor worked.
”It is a much less complex product than a jet engine. This is important for the end customer, as the jet engine and its costs make up a large part of the ticket price when flying regionally. When we replace it with an electric engine, we can reduce costs and emissions.”
The new capital injection will be used to reach the next goal on the path to a fully functional aircraft.
”"Now we will demonstrate that all the other systems on the aircraft also work. An aircraft should not just be propelled forward – the cabin should be pressurized, there should be a certain temperature and so on. We will simply use the money to show that we can build an aircraft that is safe and certifiable."”
Anders Forslund is convinced that the aircraft will be fully completed by 2026. Heart Aerospace is developing rapidly – in just two years, the team has grown from two to 40 people.
When will the first test flight take place?
”2024. We hope it will take place in Gothenburg,” says Anders Forslund.
In connection with the investment, United Airlines and Mesa Air Group have ordered 200 aircraft of the ES-19 model – with the option to add an additional 100 if desired.
Source: di.se
