In a significant advancement for VoltAero’s Cassio e-aircraft family, the company has commenced certification testing for the five-seat Cassio 330’s parallel electric-hybrid powertrain.
The powertrain, mounted on a ground-based test bench, incorporates crucial components for the series production of Cassio 330s: Safran Electrical & Power’s ENGINeUS™ 100 smart electric motor and Kawasaki’s four-cylinder high-performance thermal engine, derived from the iconic Ninja® motorcycle.
With a combined electric-hybrid power of 330 kilowatts, the Cassio 330’s powertrain comprises 180 kilowatts from the ENGINeUS™ 100 electric motor and 150 kilowatts from the Kawasaki thermal engine.
“Full-scale powertrain certification testing for our Cassio 330 marks another important step in VoltAero’s commitment to produce a new-generation electric-hybrid aircraft family, bringing together our proprietary powertrain with an airframe that is optimized for aerodynamic and operational efficiency,” said Jean Botti, VoltAero’s CEO and Chief Technology Officer.
The ground-based test bench operations for Cassio 330’s powertrain are currently ongoing at AKIRA Technologies’ facility in Bayonne, France.
Botti highlighted that VoltAero’s comprehensive architecture for the Cassio 330 powertrain has already undergone validation through extensive flight testing with the Cassio S testbed airplane. This airplane features a powertrain version rated at 600 kilowatts – the most potent electric-hybrid system of its kind currently in flight. Since October 2020, Cassio S has completed over 230 flights, surpassing 170 flight hours, covering 15,000 kilometres, and visiting over 40 airports.
VoltAero’s initial production aircraft will be the Cassio 330, with certification targeted for late 2025. Subsequently, the six-seat Cassio 480 and the ten/12-seat Cassio 600, equipped with electric-hybrid propulsion powers of 480 kilowatts and 600 kilowatts, respectively, will follow suit.
