Harbour Air testing world’s first all-electric commercial plane Tuesday

Harbour Air testing world’s first all-electric commercial plane Tuesday
Harbour Air
Harbour Air will test a Beaver seaplane that has been retrofitted with a 750 horsepower all-electric propulsion system in Richmond Tuesday morning.

A test flight over Richmond Tuesday morning will be a historic one for Vancouver-based Harbour Air.

The company says it, along with Seattle-based magniX, will unveil a new Beaver seaplane that Harbour Air says is the world’s first all-electric commercial aircraft.

MagniX builds high-power-density electric motors.

Testing was originally scheduled for Wednesday, but Harbour Air says due to rapidly changing weather, the first test flight will be Tuesday morning at 8:30 a.m.

The floatplane is retrofitted with a 750 horsepower electric propulsion system and the prototype will take off from Richmond, at Vancouver International Airport’s south terminal.

The flight is expected to take 10 minutes over Richmond.

Harbour Air is hopeful to have the e-planes certified for commercial use in two years.

Harbour Air operates flights between Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, the Lower Mainland, Whistler and Seattle.

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