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Eviation’s Alice electric airplane takes off for its first flight test in 2022. (GeekWire Photo / Alan Boyle)
Arlington, Wash.-based Eviation Aircraft has laid off most of its employees and paused work on its electric-powered Alice airplane, which had its first and only flight test more than two years ago.
In a statement emailed to GeekWire, Eviation CEO Andre Stein said a temporary pause was necessary in order to focus on “identifying the right long-term partnerships to help us make electric commercial regional flight a reality.”
“We at Eviation are proud of what we have accomplished in advancing electric flight,” Stein said. “This decision was not made lightly.”
Stein’s statement did not refer to layoffs, but citing unnamed sources, The Air Current and The Seattle Times reported that Eviation laid off most of its staff last week as the company sought further funding to continue development of the Alice airplane. As of last month, Pitchbook reported that Eviation had 64 employees.
The venture is majority-owned by the Singapore-based Clermont Group. “The Clermont Group remains committed to revolutionizing air travel through innovative electric solutions,” a Clermont spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “We will continue to seek long-term strategic partners who share our vision and passion for building the future of flight.”
The all-electric aircraft — whose name was inspired by the book “Alice in Wonderland” and the Jefferson Airplane song “White Rabbit” — made its first battery-powered test flight from Moses Lake’s airport in central Washington state in September 2022. Since then, Eviation has been reviewing and revising Alice’s design.
In its current configuration, Alice is designed to carry nine passengers on trips in the range of 290 miles. There are also plans for a cargo version of the plane. At the time of the flight test, Eviation’s development timeline called for Alice to enter service as early as 2027 — but that timeline may depend on how well the search for partnerships goes.
The company says more than 600 of the planes have been ordered by customers including Air New Zealand, Cape Air and DHL, with total value amounting to more than $5 billion.
“We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to our customers and partners for their support for the Alice program,” Stein said. “And we would especially like to thank our employees for their hard work in accelerating the electric revolution in aviation.”
