Electric Aviation Gains Momentum as Battery-Powered Trainers Enter the Market

What you’ll learn:

Thanks to their low cost of operation and maintenance, the first generation of battery-powered flight trainers is gaining popularity among flight schools and sport pilots.
Today’s battery technologies give these planes a flight of roughly an hour, sufficient for most aspects of pilot training. Anticipated improvements could provide significantly more endurance within the next few years.

Electric aircraft are drawing significant interest from flight schools worldwide, with at least two manufacturers already taking orders for their e-trainers. Although present-day battery technology only enables them to support relatively short flights, on the order of 60-90 minutes, they provide modern, reliable, and economical platforms for student pilots to complete their primary training in.

Bristell Energic E-Trainer

The most recent entry into the e-trainer market is BRM Aero’s Bristell Energic. The Czech-built aircraft is a variant of the Bristell family of conventionally powered sport/trainer products. The Energic is based on a modified version of the Bristell B23 airframe, whose rugged construction and optimized handling characteristics have made it a popular choice for flight schools throughout Europe (Fig. 1).

Instead of the 100-140HP Rotax powerplants used by the rest of the Bristell series, the Energic employs a 80-kW (90 kW peak) electric propulsion unit (EPU), manufactured by H55, a Swiss-based company devoted to the development of electric flight technology. The EPU includes an electric motor, its controller electronics, an inverter, and power electronics. Whenever practical, the electronics have been designed to eliminate single point failures.

The EPU is fed by an integrated 48-kWh energy storage system (ESS), also manufactured by H55. The ESS consists of two independent Li-ion battery packs, each equipped with independent battery management and monitoring electronics. When used for a typical training operation, the ESS can support a 60-minute flight, with 10 minutes’ worth of reserve power (Fig. 2).

H55 Energic e-trainer powerplant — 2. The Energic’s powerplant, built by H55, integrates an 80-kW motor, a 48-kWh battery, and all control and battery-management electronics.

Capable of cruising at speeds of up to 200 km/h (124 mph), and stalling at 87 km/h (54 mph), the Energic delivers a climb rate of 800 feet per minute while loaded to its maximum payload capacity of 180 kg (394 lbs.). After a flight, the factory-supplied charger can bring the plane’s batteries up to full capacity in 75 minutes. Under normal conditions, H55 says that the battery pack is expected to deliver 1500+ flights before it needs replacement/refurbishment.

Though pricing hasn’t been announced, it’s expected to be on par with a conventionally powered Bristell trainer, while offering significantly lower operating costs. Using electricity priced at $0.20/kWh, a full charge costs $7. It’s somewhere between 10% and 20% of the cost of the aviation-grade fuel that a conventionally powered trainer would burn during an hour’s flight. In addition, the electric powerplant requires virtually no maintenance and offers a longer service life than its internal combustion counterparts.

Bristell recently announced that it anticipates the first deliveries of production aircraft to Europe will begin in 2026. Meanwhile, two prototype aircraft are presently operational and being used for certification tests as well as demonstration flights with potential customers.

A Pair in the Air: The Velis Electro Joins the Bristell

The Energic will share the e-trainer market with at least one other European aircraft, the Pipistrel Velis Electro. Manufactured by Slovenia-based Pipistrel (now a division of Textron), the Electro’s 65-kW powerplant gives the aircraft a cruise speed of 200 km/h (124 mph) and a climb rate of 650 feet/minute while carrying its maximum-rated payload of 380 pounds (172 kg). During a typical flight, its 20-kWh Li-ion battery pack will provide 50 minutes of operation, with 10 minutes of reserve.

Additional performance information, plus and in-depth account of what it’s like to fly the Electro, can be found in the article “Flight test: the pioneering Pipistrel Velis Electro” published on PilotWeb (Fig. 3). There’s also an extensive Wikipedia entry that provides additional details about the plane’s technology and development history.

Pipistrel Velis Electro e-trainer — 3. The Pipistrel Velis Electro is already helping train future pilots in 30 countries.

Even at the hefty price of 184,000 Euro, the plane’s excellent flight characteristics and low operating costs have won it both praise and a modest but growing share of the sport/trainer market. Since it achieved its certification in 2020, over 100 Velis Electro aircraft have been delivered to customers in 30 countries worldwide, including the United States.