Electric Aviation Stats
Active US and global programs for electric and hybrid-electric airliners, regional aircraft, and eVTOL urban air taxis. Plus the ground-side power infrastructure (Megawatt Charging System, or MCS) that makes most of these aircraft viable.
Megawatt Charging — the ground-side enabler
Most of these aircraft can't exist without Megawatt Charging System (MCS), a CharIN standard purpose-built to deliver electricity at megawatt scale. DCFC stations max out around 350 kW today; an electric airliner needs 4-12× that to recharge between flights.
MCS uses a different connector than CCS or NACS — physically larger to handle 3,000 A continuous. The 1.25 MW spec is what's certified today; the standard is designed for forward extensibility to 3-4 MW. Lilium + ABB demonstrated a working MegaWatt charging system for eVTOLs targeting full-charge in 30 min / 0-80% in 15 min.
CharIN MCS spec page →All-electric aircraft
Battery-only. Range-limited but operationally simpler — no fuel, no engines.
Heart Aerospace Heart X1 (demonstrator)
Sweden / USA
Test aircraft for the ES-30 program. Will be the largest fully-electric aircraft to fly when it makes first flight (2025).
Demonstrator only — not for commercial sale. First-flight target H2 2025.
Eviation Alice
USA / Israel
Commuter and cargo aircraft for sub-400 km feeder routes.
Completed first test flight Sept 2022. Eviation laid off most staff Feb 2025 after a cofounder dispute with majority owner. Future viability uncertain as of 2026.
Beta Technologies CX300 / ALIA
USA
Regional cargo + passenger eCTOL (electric conventional takeoff/landing). Beta also operates "BETA Charge" — an MCS-compatible charging network at airports.
BETA also makes the ALIA-250 eVTOL with the same airframe family. CX300 is FAA-certifying first as a conventional fixed-wing electric aircraft, with eVTOL ALIA-250 to follow.
Hybrid-electric aircraft
Electric motors with a generator backup for extended range. Powerful for sub-500 km regional routes.
Heart Aerospace ES-30
Sweden / USA
Regional passenger aircraft for sub-200 km all-electric routes; 200-400 km with hybrid generator backup. Targets routes that don't justify 737/A220-class jets.
Switched from 19-seat ES-19 to 30-seat ES-30 in Sept 2022 to broaden route economics. Heart relocated HQ from Sweden to Los Angeles in 2025. X1 demonstrator slated for first flight 2025.
eVTOL urban air taxis
Vertical takeoff/landing for city-center hops. Targets short ranges (35-240 km) and high turn frequency.
Joby Aviation S4
USA
Urban air mobility — short city-to-city or airport-shuttle flights. Targets 240 km range at 200 mph cruise.
Most-certified eVTOL program in the US. Targeting commercial launch in NYC + LA in 2026.
Archer Aviation Midnight
USA
Urban air mobility — 16-32 km city-to-city hops with 10 minute swap times. Designed for high turn frequency.
Stellantis-built airframes from a Georgia factory. Targeting NY/LA + Olympics 2028 LA service.
Wisk Aero Generation 6
USA
Autonomous (no pilot) urban air taxi. Targets self-flying certification, which extends timeline vs. piloted competitors.
Boeing-owned. Differentiates by being fully autonomous from day one — no pilot. FAA self-flying certification path is the long pole.
Vertical Aerospace VX4
United Kingdom
European urban air mobility — primarily targeting EASA certification before US.
Crash during flight test Aug 2023 set program back ~12 months. Recovery flight test program underway.
Lilium Pioneer (formerly Lilium Jet)
Germany
Regional eVTOL using ducted-fan vectored-thrust design. Differentiated from quadcopter-style competitors by claimed efficiency at cruise.
Filed for insolvency Oct 2024. Restructured under new investors Q1 2025; future development and certification timeline TBD.
Volocopter VoloCity
Germany
Short-hop urban air taxi. 35 km range is intentionally short — designed for city-center hops, not regional.
Filed for insolvency Dec 2024. Restructured Q2 2025 under new ownership. Paris Olympics 2024 demo flights conducted; commercial certification still pending in EASA.
Source: Heart Aerospace, Eviation, Beta Technologies, Joby, Archer, Wisk, Vertical Aerospace, Volocopter — public press releases, investor decks, and regulatory filings. CharIN + SAE for MCS standard..
Last refreshed: 2026-05-09. Aviation programs change status quickly — verify current status with the manufacturer before making commercial commitments. The "paused" status reflects programs that have either filed for bankruptcy/insolvency or shed substantially all of their staff.