If you want your fill of Quokkas, the cutest animal ever to evolve from the Earth’s primordial goo, it’s easy enough to get a flight to Rottnest Island out of Perth’s Jandakot Airport. However, if you want that plane to be powered entirely by electricity, well, you’re in luck: a company by the name Electro.Aero has already completed a successful test flight to the popular holiday destination.
According to a story by the ABC’s Elicia Kennedy, Electro.Aero’s Pipistrel Alpha Electro trumps its conventional, petrol-guzzling counterparts in a number of important areas.
Thanks to its dual-redundant, 17kWh batteries, the Alpha can stay airborne for a maximum of 90 minutes, more than enough time for the 12-minute trip between the airport and island. And at $3, it’s super cheap to run.
Currently, Electro.Aero is still conducting test flights, however, the plan is to start training pilots later this month and eventually, get regular flights going to the Quokka haven.
That said, if you’re in Perth and have $220 to spare, you can have a crack at flying the Alpha yourself for 45 minutes.
The ABC article reports that Electro.Aero is working on getting a supercharger installed on Rottnest, so the plane has the option of topping up there. At the moment, it takes about an hour to “refuel” using the charger at Jandakot Airport.
[ABC]