Electra has secured 2,200 pre-orders for its EL9 Ultra Short hybrid-electric aircraft.
Valued at nearly US$9 billion, Electra’s order pipeline is one of the largest in the Advanced Air Mobility industry.
Electra’s Ultra Short – which integrates blown lift and hybrid-electric propulsion to take off and land in just 150 feet, enables air operators to connect communities that lack aviation infrastructure, fly into airports with strict noise restrictions, create new opportunities and business models for cargo services, and save travelers significant time and hassle.
It also introduces entirely new logistics capabilities for warfighters including the ability to land on unimproved surfaces, improve safety and reduce cost, power ground operations, and carry out critical logistics transport.
“Electra’s Ultra Short will unlock a new era of air travel – what we call Direct Aviation – that is as transformative as it’s practical,” said Marc Allen, CEO of Electra.
“Hybrid-electric propulsion enables us to achieve what jet fuel alone can’t do; we’ve created a fixed-wing airplane that delivers the access of a helicopter with 100 times less noise, 70% lower cost, improved safety, and dramatically reduced emissions. The response from the global aviation industry has been tremendous. Our customers see the EL9 aircraft as a true game-changer, and they’re using its ultra-short takeoff capabilities to open the door to new routes in areas with space and noise constraints. Together, we’re enabling a fundamental leap forward in advanced air mobility.”
Electra’s Ultra Short technology suite integrates blown lift aerodynamics with hybrid-electric propulsion to create an aviation platform that would have been impossible a decade ago. It provides increased access, low noise, affordability, and sustainability in one solution that operates with existing infrastructure.
The nine-passenger EL9 delivers up to 3,000 pounds of payload capacity and a range up to 1,100 nautical miles, with in-flight battery recharging that eliminates the need for ground charging infrastructure.
The ability to operate from compact spaces and unimproved surfaces including grass fields, parking lots, and repurposed heliports opens new routes and economic opportunities, making regional air mobility for passengers and cargo more affordable and accessible than ever before.
