China Certifies First Commercial Electric Plane

China has certified a four-place electric aircraft under Part 23 regulations, making it the first to qualify for commercial operations beyond flight training. The Liaoning General Aviation Academy (LGAA)'s RX4E, which first flew in 2019, will be marketed globally with a focus on short-haul flights in areas without good roads. The manufacturer says the plane, which is about the size of Cessna 182 but with a much longer 45-foot wingspan, will have a 90-minute endurance with a range of about 160 miles and a cruise speed of about 120 knots.

Volar Air Mobility, which will be selling the plane, announced the certification, which happened on Dec. 29, late last week in a social media post. “With this, the RX4E has become the world’s first electric aircraft certified under Part 23 regulations (commercial use),” said the post. “This milestone marks a new era for sustainable aviation, paving the way for commercialization of electric aircraft in the advanced air mobility (AAM) market. “

According to its website, the manufacturer says it has a 2800-pound maximum takeoff weight with a payload of about 680 pounds. Top speed is about 156 knots and stall speed is 54 knots. Likely thanks to the long wings, it takes off in about 1200 feet and lands in a little more. Service ceiling is about 10,000 feet. It doesn't give details about the propulsion system except to describe it as "high efficiency."