Zero emissions: Cape Air intends to buy 75 sleek electric commuter airplanes

Dennis Coffey Cape Cod Times 

Published April 22, 2022 

HYANNIS — Cape Air is putting a charge into its commuter service, signing a letter of intent to purchase a fleet of electric planes, but don't expect to see them in the air for a few years.

Cape Air has agreed to buy 75 "Alice" commuter planes from Washington-based aviation company, Eviation.  

"Our customers will be at the forefront of aviation history and our communities will benefit from emission-free travel," said Cape Air CEO Linda Markham, in an email.

Cape Air is a subsidiary of Hyannis Air Service, which includes Key West Express and Nantucket Airlines. The company provides 400 regional flights a day to nearly 40 cities in the Northeast, Midwest, Montana and the Caribbean.

Nearly all of Cape Air’s routes are less than 200 miles long. The longest flight, 260 miles, is from JFK Airport to Saranac Lake, New York. 

Hyannis Air Service is the largest commuter airline in the world, serving half a million passengers a year. It operates a fleet of 70 Cessna 402s, four Britten-Norman Islanders, and 24 Tecnam P2012 Travellers. The planes seat from six to 11 passengers.  

Eviation was founded about seven years ago. In 2018, the company decided to power its planes with the MagniX electric propulsion system. MagniX was awarded more than $73 million from NASA to develop electric propulsion technologies in 2021.  

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The Alice promises quieter and smoother rides, according to Eviation President and CEO Gregory Davis. With the electric power train comes zero emissions, no jet fuel and a "greener" way to fly.  

“As we gain more market share, people will see the economic benefit of the aircraft over and above the environmental and sustainable benefits,” Davis said.  

He declined to say a price for the Alice, but a 2019 Fortune magazine online article put the figure at $4 million.

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The airline industry is a high polluter. Davis estimated an Alice aircraft emits 300 pounds of carbon dioxide, as opposed to 9,000 pounds from a conventional aircraft. And that carbon output would come not from the plane, but from how the energy that fuels the plane is produced. 

Maintenance and operating costs will be less than for a conventional aircraft, according to Davis.

“This is where the aircraft will shine,” he said. “It doesn't burn fuel and fuel can be in excess of half the cost of operating airplanes.” 

The planes are powered by lithium batteries, which have been criticized for their cost and impact on the environment. But Davis cited global movements to improve the way lithium is produced and used. 

“That’s a market factor that affects everything from cell phones to aircraft,” he said. “The good news is there’s lot of global attention on it. We're mindful of our involvement and will continue to go with the best practices available in the industry.” 

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When will Alice join Cape Air?

The fleet of Alice airplanes is still months to years away from delivery to Cape Air. Eviation is getting FAA certification.

“We’re pressing hard to have a flight test campaign by 2024,” Davis said.  

Davis is confident about the plane's prospects.

“We're going to be the first to market with the aircraft," he said. 

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“Cape Air has always maintained a deep commitment to social responsibility," Cape Air Executive Board Chairman Dan Wolf wrote. "As an early supporter of all-electric air-travel, we are dedicated to leading the industry towards a sustainable future. Together with Eviation, we are creating the next generation of air-travel, in which electric flight will be the industry standard.”

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