The first fully electric flight spent so little on electricity that you won’t believe it

The first flight of the largest battery-electric aircraft ever to have flown the skies lasted almost half an hour and used just $5 worth of electricity. This aeronautical feat comes at a time when jet fuel prices have soared because of the U.S. war with Iran.

The test flight of Heart Aerospace’s X1 demonstrator aircraft took place at Plattsburgh International Airport, in northern New York State, on August 12. The X1 aircraft is comparable in size to a small regional plane and can reach a maximum takeoff weight of more than 25,000 pounds (11 tons) thanks to four electric motors mounted on the wings. The battery-electric propulsion system delivered more than one megawatt of power during the inaugural flight.

Fully electric aircraft can offer quieter, cleaner flight, without the emissions that come from burning aviation fuel. They can also prove more cost-effective and reliable than conventional aircraft, whose aviation fuel costs are subject to geopolitical disruptions.

However, the early success of the X1 prototype doesn’t mean Heart Aerospace plans to commercialize a fully electric aircraft. Current battery-electric systems usually only allow short flights of between 200 and 500 kilometers, which is why they have been limited to air-taxi operations by companies like Joby and Archer.

Instead, the tests of the X1 and of the X2 aircraft planned for later will support the development of Heart Aerospace’s main offering for the aviation sector: a 30-seat hybrid-electric regional aircraft known as the ES-30.

This production aircraft intended for commercial service would combine two electric motors with commercial turboprop engines that run on aviation fuel, which would allow up to 170 km on electric power alone and an 800 km range in hybrid mode.