Bye Aerospace has announced plans to develop an eight-seat all-electric twin turbo-prop class airplane, the eFlyer 800, in response to the growing interest for regional all-electric aircraft.

The Denver company states performance estimates for the eFlyer 800 include up to 320 knot cruise speed, 35,000 feet ceiling and 500 nm range with 45-minute IFR reserves at normal cruise speed of 280 knots.

Safety features for the eFlyer 800 will include two wing-mounted electric motors, each with dual redundant motor windings, quad-redundant battery packs and a full airplane parachute.

Bye Aerospace explains additional potential features of the aircraft could include an emergency auto-landing system, an algorithm ensuring envelope protection, terrain avoidance and routing for emergency auto-land, and also an option for supplemental power solar cells and in-wheel electric taxi.

The airplane’s 8-seat configuration is to consist of up to seven passengers and one or two pilots. Bye Aerospace estimates the eFlyer 800 will have only one-fifth the operating costs of traditional twin turboprops and is geared for the air-taxi, air-cargo, regional and charter aircraft markets.

“The eFlyer 800 is the first all-electric propulsion technology airplane that achieves twin-turboprop performance and safety with no CO2 and extremely low operating costs,” said George Bye, CEO, Bye Aerospace. “This type of remarkable economy and performance is made possible by the electric propulsion system and advanced battery cell technology that results in significantly higher energy densities.”

Bye Aerospace is working with Safran to assess the most efficient electric powertrain for the eFlyer 800 (dual ENGINeUS electric motors and GENeUSGRID electric distribution and network protection system).

“Safran product lines with the ENGINeUS motors, rated from 50kW to 500kW/1MW and GENeUSGRID systems, perfectly fit with the Bye Aerospace portfolio of e-aircraft,” said Hervé Blanc, Executive Vice President and General Manager Power, Safran Electrical & Power. “Building upon our successful cooperation on eFlyer2 and eFlyer4, we are very proud to bring our best expertise to support Bye Aerospace in the design of the new eFlyer 800.”

Bye Aerospace is in the process of obtaining FAA Part-23 certification for the eFlyer 2 for the professional flight training mission and the four-seat eFlyer 4 for air taxi, cargo and training uses.