GOTHENBURG, Sweden - Heart Aerospace, a Swedish company specializing in hybrid-electric aircraft, has unveiled its first full-scale demonstrator airplane, a key step in developing its regional hybrid-electric ES-30 aircraft.
The ES-30 is a regional hybrid-electric aircraft with seating for 30 passengers, designed for short-haul routes. It has a zero-emission electric range of 200 kilometers (124 miles) and a hybrid range of up to 400 kilometers (249 miles).
The demonstrator, dubbed Heart Experimental 1 (Heart X1), was built primarily in-house at Heart's facilities in Gothenburg. The company has pursued a strategy of simultaneously advancing both the design and production processes.
“Our industry is approaching a 30-year innovation cycle, and we have less than 25 years to decarbonize aviation. We need to develop new methods to get net zero aerospace technologies to market faster,” said Anders Forslund, co-founder and CEO of Heart Aerospace. “It is a testament to the ingenuity and dedication of our team that we’re able to roll out a 30-seat aircraft demonstrator with a brand-new propulsion system, largely inhouse, in less than two years.”
The Heart X1, which has a 32-meter (105 feet) will serve as a testing platform for the ES-30 aircraft. Initially, it will undergo ground-based testing, focusing on charging operations, taxiing, and turnaround procedures. The company plans a fully electric first flight in the second quarter of 2025, following several months of testing critical systems.
The project has been partially funded by grants from Sweden's Innovation Agency, Vinnova, emphasizing the importance of public-private partnerships in advancing new aviation technologies.
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“Developing innovative net zero aerospace technologies demands a revolution in product development and manufacturing, much like what we’ve witnessed in the automotive and space industries,” said Ben Stabler, Chief Technology Officer at Heart Aerospace.
Following the Heart X1, the company is preparing to build a pre-production prototype, the Heart X2, to further refine its design and production methods. The Heart X2, scheduled for a hybrid-electric flight in 2026, will demonstrate the company’s Independent Hybrid propulsion system.
Heart Aerospace was also selected for a $4.1 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Fuelling Aviation’s Sustainable Transition (FAST) program to develop a management system for hybrid-electric propulsion. The company aims to establish a pilot manufacturing plant and achieve type certification of the ES-30 by the end of the decade.
