DALLAS — Swedish hybrid-electric aircraft manufacturer Heart Aerospace has revealed its first full-scale demonstrator for the ES-30, named Heart Experimental 1 (Heart X1). 

The Heart X1, developed at the company’s Gothenburg facility, has a 32-meter wingspan and can seat 30 passengers. Its all-electric range is 200 kilometers, which can be extended to 400 kilometers using hybrid-electric propulsion. 

Initial testing will focus on ground-based activities, including charging, taxiing, and turnaround procedures. The company anticipates the first fully electric flight by the second quarter 2025.

Anders Forslund, CEO and co-founder of Heart Aerospace emphasized the urgency of innovation in aviation, noting that the industry faces a tight window to decarbonize. Forslund praised the team’s rapid development of the aircraft’s new propulsion system, which was primarily completed in-house in under two years.

Partly funded by Sweden’s Innovation Agency (Vinnova), Heart Aerospace plans to build a pre-production prototype, the Heart X2, which is expected to take a hybrid-electric flight by 2026. 

Ben Stabler, Chief Technology Officer, highlighted the need for rapid advancements in aerospace technology, drawing parallels with the automotive and space sectors.

In August, Heart Aerospace secured a US$4.1 million grant from the FAA’s FAST program to advance its hybrid-electric propulsion system. The company aims to achieve type certification for the ES-30 by 2030.