Finnish Pipistrel Alpha Electro takes off
After a small electric plane was tested by the Slovenian manufacturer Pipistrel in Norway, it now took to the skies again in Finland for another test flight. This time the Pipistrel Alpha Electro took off from the Helsinki-Malmi airport.
The Alpha Electro is a two seated electric plane, with an empty weight of 350 kg, including the battery. At the start of the year, the manufacturer successfully completed testing in Australia. The final version of the plane will have a 50 kW e-motor, with a 21 kWh battery packet, which will allow for an hour of flight.
The model that took to the skies above Finland was purchased by the Helsinki Electric Aviation Association. Their head of the board Janne Vasama spoke of taking a first step towards electrified transportation in Finland. “At the moment, the biggest costs in aviation are fuel and maintenance. With electric planes, these are both only about one tenth of what they are for regular planes.”
Ambitious plans, such as Norway has, where all short distance flights are supposed to be electric by 2040, have not been made in Finland. Norway is not only planning to change the entire airline energy basis by 2040, but also plans to open a test stretch in 2025.
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