Zero-hour for zero-emissions: Heart Aerospace unveils electric aircraft prototype
Zero-hour for zero-emissions: Heart Aerospace unveils electric aircraft prototype
The Heart X1 will serve as a platform for rigorous testing and development of the ES-30 aircraft.
Swedish startup Heart Aerospace has unveiled its first full-scale electric aircraft demonstrator, the Heart X1. The unveiling took place yesterday at the company's Hangar Day event in Gothenburg, Sweden.
According to company CEO Anders Forslund, it presents a new approach to the aviation industry's environmental challenges.
The Heart X1, with a 32-meter wingspan, serves as a precursor to the company's ES-30 project – a 30-seat hybrid-electric aircraft aimed at transforming regional air travel, which is scheduled to enter service by the end of the decade.
Speaking at the event, Anders Forslund discussed the scale of the industry's decarbonisation challenge:
"We need to develop new methods to get net-zero aerospace technologies to market faster. If we want to be at net zero, we'll have spent all of our net zero carbon budget not by 2050 but by 2032. That means all new aircraft delivered after 2032 need to be net-zero."
Forslund suggested that traditional approaches focusing on incremental fuel efficiency improvements may face limitations.
While acknowledging that the industry has "essentially halved fuel consumption from about seven litres per hundred passenger kilometres in the 1960s to about three and a half now," he noted that this is resulting in diminishing returns, which suggests that the focus may need to shift towards innovation and new propulsion technologies.
Forslund's comments align with a recent report by the International Council for Clean Transportation (ICCT). The ICCT stated that all aircraft to be delivered by the mid-2030s need to have net zero baked into their entire lifespan and recommended the more rapid development of zero-emission aircraft running on electric and hydrogen technologies.
Revolutionising aircraft design and production
At the Hangar Day, Forslund explained how Heart's technology works. The ES-30 uses what Heart calls an "independent hybrid" system. This system includes a large battery in the rear fuselage, powering two electric motors for takeoff and landing.
Two turboprop engines on the wings can be activated for longer flights or when additional power is needed. This design allows for all-electric flights up to 200 kilometres, with the capability to extend the range to 400 kilometres in hybrid mode—or 800km if the seats are reduced from 30 to 25.
The Heart X1 was built almost entirely in-house in less than two years, demonstrating the company's strategy of simultaneously developing both design and production processes. As explained by Ben Stabler, Heart's CTO:
"Developing innovative net-zero aerospace technologies demands a revolution in product development and manufacturing."
This revolution extends beyond just building planes. As a result, Stabler said that Heart is creating an entire ecosystem around electric aviation, including charging infrastructure at airports – a move that recently saw them conduct the first turnaround test and charging demonstration for an all-electric regional aircraft.
Niki de Leon, a high voltage engineer at Heart, emphasised the importance of this holistic approach:
"At Heart, we believe that charging is a key enabler. It's not just about solving for the flight, but solving the 30-minute turnaround on the tarmac."
Building a global network of partnerships
This focus on the entire ecosystem of electric aviation is attracting attention from airlines around the world. In addition to partnerships with major carriers like United, SAS and Air Canada, Heart has recently welcomed two significant new partners: Loganair and AirAsia.
Loganair, the UK's largest regional airline, has signed an exclusive partnership with Heart Aerospace. Luke Farajallah, CEO of Loganair, said:
"We feel that much as in the same way that the ground transportation, car transportation network moved towards a hybrid solution initially on its journey towards fully electric, we think there's a good chance that that could be the case with aviation and with air travel."
This partnership is noteworthy given Loganair's extensive experience in regional operations, including some of the world's shortest commercial routes in the Highlands and Islands region of Scotland.
Meanwhile, the addition of AirAsia to Heart's advisory board marks a step in the company's expansion into the Asian market. Simon Newitt, Heart's President and Chief Commercial Officer, highlighted the potential of this partnership in showcasing that Heart can deliver both sustainability and economic benefits:
"When we talk about bringing an economic proposition to market, who better to have at our table than AirAsia who is absolutely obsessed with driving costs down."
AirAsia, the fourth largest airline in Asia, brings expertise in low-cost operations, which aligns with Heart's goal of democratising air travel while decarbonising it.
With the unveiling of the Heart X1, the ongoing development of the ES-30, and the cultivation of a global network of partners, Heart Aerospace is now among the front-runners in electric aviation in terms of development and funding — with the FAA having recently awarded Heart a $4.1m grant, in tandem with the company expanding operations in the USA.
Heart believes that by developing the smaller ES-30, it will eventually be able to progress to a 100-seat aircraft that can serve some of the major short-haul routes in North America and Europe.
As John Slattery, Heart's Chairman, put it at the close of the Hangar Day presentations:
"These are small aircraft; they're tributaries, but tributaries feed streams, and streams feed rivers."
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