Magnix of Everett, Washington, will receive $74.3 million from NASA over the next five years to demonstrate aircraft electric propulsion technology.
The fixed price / cost share award was awarded through NASA’s electric power system flight demonstration program (EPFD), which aims to introduce electric power system technology into the U.S. aviation fleet no later than 2035.
Another company, Cincinnati based Ge aviation, won a $179 million bonus through the same program.
Roei ganzarski, CEO of magnix, told geekwire in an email, “this award from NASA proves the excellent work done by the magnix team every day.”. “This plan will make the next generation of commercial aircraft possible. We are proud to be on the same team as a great company like GE.”
Robert Pearce, NASA’s deputy director for aerospace research, said the support would accelerate the transition to electric aviation and become a “catalyst for economic growth”
“We hope to achieve significant improvements in the economic and environmental performance of subsonic transportation by integrating these new alternative propulsion and energy technologies into the fleet,” Pierce said at today’s press conference.
During the five-year term of the award, magnix and Ge aviation will demonstrate electric aircraft propulsion technology, also known as EAP, that can be used in commercial aircraft, including short-range and regional airliners. They will also collaborate on other NASA projects involving electric propulsion, flight test instruments and data analysis.
Gaudy bezos-o’connor, EPFD program manager at NASA Langley Research Center in Virginia, said: “Ge aviation and magnix will conduct integrated megawatt powertrain ground and flight demonstrations to verify their concepts and provide project benefits for future EAP aircraft configurations.”. “These demonstrations will identify and remove technical barriers and integration risks. It will also help to develop standards and regulations for future EAP systems.”
Magnix is already demonstrating electric aircraft propulsion using its magni350 and magni650 motors. The company is working with harbour air, headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, to obtain a number of modified electric seaplanes certified for short haul passenger flights, and has reached agreements with universal hydrogen, Sydney seaplane, Faraday, H55 and blade.
In January, the company moved its headquarters from Redmond, Washington to a 40000 square foot new manufacturing building in Everett.
Magnix is majority owned by Singapore based Clermont group. A sister company called evion has its own manufacturing plant in Arlington, Washington. Magnix has signed an agreement to manufacture power systems for evion’s all electric aircraft Alice. Last month, DHL Express announced an order for 12 Alice ecargo aircraft from evision.