The U.S.-Made Heart X1, the World’s Largest Electric Aircraft, Completes Test Flight

Electric aviation has been challenging largely because batteries are much heavier than the liquid fuels they are intended to replace. Jet fuel and aviation gasoline pack far more energy per unit of weight than today’s lithium-ion batteries, meaning an electric aircraft must carry significantly more mass to store the same amount of usable energy.

An American startup may have solved this problem, making aviation history earlier this week when its experimental aircraft took off for the first time. Heart Aerospace’s X1 is the world’s largest all-electric aircraft to fly, completing its maiden flight on August 12 at Plattsburgh International Airport in upstate New York.

The battery-powered aircraft spans 106 feet, measures 76 feet from nose to tail, and weighs more than 25,000 pounds at takeoff. During its first flight, the X1 remained airborne for 27 minutes and reached an altitude of 1,100 feet. Its electric powertrain delivered more than one megawatt of power during the test, while the electricity used for the entire flight reportedly cost just $5, according to Heart Aerospace.

That low energy cost could be a major advantage for airlines looking to reduce fuel and operating expenses, which is central to Heart Aerospace’s business strategy. The company’s ultimate goal is to bring its hybrid-electric ES-30 regional aircraft to market, with the company targeting a reduction in operating costs of more than 40%.

The ES-30 will be a 30-passenger hybrid-electric propeller aircraft designed to carry passengers and luggage for distances of up to 500 miles with a full tank and fully charged battery. On electric power alone, Heart Aerospace says the aircraft will have a range of 125 miles. The battery can be recharged in about 30 minutes.

Type certification for the ES-30 is targeted for 2031. Until then, the X1 will serve as a flying testbed for validating the technologies, aerodynamics, and flight performance needed for the production aircraft. Its maiden flight was conducted under an FAA Special Airworthiness Certificate in the Experimental Category (SAE-EC), with the test profile covering taxiing, takeoff, climb, maneuvering, and landing.

“With the first flight of X1, Heart Aerospace has demonstrated electric flight at the scale of a commercial airliner,” said Anders Forslund, founder and CEO of Heart Aerospace. He said electric commercial aircraft could fundamentally change airline economics while ultimately lowering air travel costs, with electrification enabling more affordable, frequent, and cleaner service to and from airports closer to home.

Heart Aerospace says it is already developing the first pre-production ES-30 at its pilot manufacturing plant in Los Angeles, with flight testing scheduled to begin in 2028. United Airlines, Air Canada, and JSX have expressed interest in the hybrid-electric aircraft, with Heart reporting $9.4 billion in customer commitments.