Aerospace startup Elysian comes out of stealth mode developing 90-passenger, battery-electric aircraft derived from research with Delft University of Technology.
January 10th, 2024 – Delft, The Netherlands
Aerospace startup Elysian, in collaboration with Delft University of Technology, announces new research findings that demonstrate viability for battery-electric air travel on a larger scale than previously thought possible. Revised calculations, based on new design principles, signal a paradigm shift in the potential of battery electric flight. This involves a 90-passenger, battery-electric aircraft capable of traveling 800 km with a pack energy density of 360 Wh/kg. Based on these findings, Elysian was established to continue development of this aircraft, aiming to become operational by 2033.
New Study Reveals Breakthrough in Electric Aviation Potential
Traditionally, battery-electric flying was not considered a mainstream aviation solution due to the limitations of batteries: they are too heavy for the distances required in passenger aviation. Reynard de Vries, Assistant Professor at Delft University of Technology and Co-Founder of Elysian, pursued a different approach by optimizing the entire aircraft around electric propulsion from the start, reimagining fundamental aircraft design. This is a fundamentally different approach from retrofitting a kerosene engine with an electric motor.
By redesigning the aircraft from the ground up, the research found that the range and capacity of electric aircraft are significantly larger than previously anticipated. Early-stage simulations show that a 90-passenger battery-electric aircraft could have a range of at least 800 km with a battery pack energy density of 360 Wh/kg, a density which is expected to be available in the early 2030s, and could even reach this range at today’s pack energy densities.
Rob Wolleswinkel, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Elysian, commented: “Elysian’s mission is to develop the first large-scale battery-electric aircraft to help reduce aviation’s climate impact. There are many engineering questions that need to be solved before we can finalize a design, but this research demonstrates that the potential is far greater than anyone thought. Our work brings the reality of an emission-free, 90-passenger aircraft much closer.”
Elysian has already assembled a team of experienced engineers and researchers and partnered with leading knowledge institutes and industry partners, including TU Delft, Fokker Services Group, Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR), and Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR) to solve these questions before finalizing a design.
About Elysian:
Elysian is a Dutch aerospace company reimagining the future of sustainable air travel through innovative battery-electric aircraft design. Founded by Rob Wolleswinkel, Reynard de Vries, and Daniel Rosen Jacobson and backed by Panta Holdings and Caravelle, Elysian is developing the first-ever 90-passenger, battery-electric aircraft with the potential to travel 800 km.
