This Electric Aircraft Sports a Smart Motor, Can Be Charged in 20 Minutes

Unlike other electric aircraft developers, the Austrian-based Diamond Aircraft, with facilities in Canada and China, is not a new player in the market, with roots going back to 1981. Over the last years, it started experimenting with different hybrid-electric propulsion versions of its reputable air vehicles, and the eDA40 is a culmination of those efforts.

Based on the company’s DA40 certified platform, the eDA40 is a single-motor trainer aircraft gearing up to start flying in 2024. What’s special about it is that it claims to be the first electric airplane with DC fast charging that’s EASA (EU’s Aviation Safety Agency) and FAA (the Federal Aviation Administration) Part 23 certified.

According to Diamond Aircraft, the battery module of the eDA40 will be equipped with a DC fast-charging system that can take the airplane from zero to ready in 20 minutes. It also claims that it will be capable of sustaining a 90-minute flight as the battery technology evolves, also cutting costs associated with conventional piston aircraft by 40%.

The new trainer also features a standard Garmin G1000 NXi glass cockpit, and, according to a recent announcement, it will be equipped with Safran’s Engineus electric motor. Safran, another major player in the European aerospace industry, has developed a wide range of what it calls “smart motors,” with power outputs going up to 500 kW.

The eDA40 will feature the Engineus 100, capable of 130 kW maximum at take-off power. It also boasts an optimized air-cooling system for thermal management and a fully-integrated motor controller.

The only certified electric airplane capable of fast charging is set to conduct its first flight by the end of this year.