Project description
The first short-haul electric airliner becomes more mature
Sweden-based startup Heart Aerospace aims to electrify air travel, delivering the world's first electric airliner certified for commercial flight by 2026. Its all-electric aircraft ES-19 will have an operating range of 400 km and a carrying capacity of 19 passengers. The EU-funded QualE-fly project is centred around Heart Aerospace’s core innovation – the high-efficiency electric drivetrain that powers the ES-19. The drivetrain comprises an electric motor, motor controller and propeller actuators, and it is controlled by an electric propulsion automatic control system. The aim now is to bring the technology to a higher level of maturity, from the prototype stage (technology readiness level 5) to a complete and qualifiable system (technology readiness level 8).
Objective
Heart Aerospace is a Swedish start-up that makes electric aircraft for regional air travel. Heart’s first aircraft is the ES-19, an all-electric nineteen-seater airliner with a range of 400 km, set to enter service in 2025. Heart has validated strong market demand for the ES-19, with signed Letters of Intent (LOIs) from 7 airlines across Europe and North America for 137 aircraft worth approximately €1 billion.
Project QualE-fly is centered around Heart’s core innovation, the high-efficiency electric drivetrain that powers the aircraft ES-19 airliner. The drivetrain comprises an electric motor, motor controller and propeller actuators, and is controlled using Heart’s Electric Propulsion Automatic Control System (EPACS). Heart has designed a prototype of the QualE-fly drivetrain with market-leading efficiency and performance.
The aim of this project is to take the QualE-fly drivetrain from the prototype stage (TRL5) through the stringent certification and safety standards required for commercial aviation operations, into a product ready for the market (TRL8). The project has two work packages. Work package 1 consists of detailing formal requirements and design of QualE-fly, to ensure certifiability. Work package 2 consists of the manufacturing and qualification ground testing of the QualE-fly drivetrain.
After being introduced in the ES-19 aircraft in 2025, the QualE-fly drivetrain will be reused for our 48-seater ES-48 airliner, set to enter service in 2032. The target market for this aircraft is all global short-haul air travel under 2000 km, which currently accounts for 85% of worldwide departures and 43% of global emissions. Electric aviation represents a multi-billion-dollar opportunity to cut aviation emissions and transition to sustainable, revitalized regional communities through enhanced mobility and connectivity.
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Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-2 - SME instrument phase 2Coordinator
417 46 GOTEBORG
Sweden
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.