The US electric aircraft startup Bye Aerospace works with the French engine manufacturer Safran and the British battery experts from Oxis Energy on an electric aircraft for eight passengers.

Bye works in a multinational team Aerospace from the US state of Colorado on an electrically powered aircraft that is to penetrate the territory of the large aircraft manufacturers. So far, air taxi providers with ambitions towards business aviation have held back.

With the twin Bye is now targeting E-Flyer 800 precisely at this business area. Accordingly, the announced performance data can be seen. The Twin E-Flyer 800 should offer space for eight passengers, which it should be able to fly up to around 926 kilometers (500 nautical miles). The flight speed should be between 500 and 600 kilometers per hour and the advised flight altitude is just under 11,000 meters (35,000 feet).

E-Flyer 800 – at first glance a conventional turboprop. (Image: Bye Aerospace)

The E-Flyer 800 receives the addition twin because it is a twin-engine Turboprop machine will act. Bye sees the relatively well-known altitude as an advantage, because electric motors do not have any loss of performance at high altitudes. This is what distinguishes them from combustion engines, which can no longer provide full power when the air is thinner. According to Bye, there are already an unspecified number of pre-orders for the large-capacity air taxi the benefits are obvious. “The E-Flyer 800 is the first fully electrically powered aircraft that achieves the performance and safety of a twin turboprop without CO2 emissions and with extremely low operating costs. This combination of remarkable economy and flight performance is made possible by the electric propulsion system and the advanced battery cell technology, which has a significantly higher energy density, “said Bye on the occasion of the presentation of the new product.

leaves Bye to the experts of the French technology group Safran for the drive and energy management system. The batteries are provided by the British company Oxis Energy. They work with lithium-sulfur technology, which is supposed to guarantee a four times higher energy density than lithium-ion batteries. The first major tests with the lithium-sulfur cells are expected for autumn 2021.

What the schedule for the market launch of the E-Flyer 800 looks like , Bye did not reveal. However, since the company is currently busy getting its two- and four-seater E-Flyer 2 and E-Flyer 4 approved, the E-Flyer 800 should be expected in three rather than two years.

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