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| Photo Credit: AP. |
MOSES LAKE, Wash. (AP) — A prototype, all-electric airplane took its first flight Tuesday morning in central Washington state.
The Seattle
Times reports that if the Federal Aviation Administration eventually certifies
the small airplane to carry passengers, it could become the first all-electric
commercial airplane.
The plane,
built by startup Eviation, was built to carry nine passengers and up two
pilots. It took off from Moses Lake, Washington, at 7:10 a.m. Tuesday, and
landed eight minutes later.
The
company’s goal is to show such electric planes are viable as commuter aircraft
flying at an altitude of about 15,000 feet (4,572 meters).
The plane,
designed by engineers in Washington state and Israel, is powered by 21,500
small Tesla-style battery cells.