In series production since 2020 by its Slovenian designer PIPISTREL, the Velis Electro is the first certified 100% electrically propelled aircraft. Around a hundred have been produced, and more than 35 are in operation in France. The one you see here is one of the 7 aircraft purchased by the Fédération Française Aéronautique for its FabLab, and operated by affiliated flying clubs.

Its main advantages are greatly reduced noise pollution on the ground (all you hear is the sound of the propeller and the airflow over the wing), virtually zero CO2 emissions, and reduced operating and maintenance costs.

With an empty weight of 425kg (including 144kg of batteries) and a maximum weight of 600kg, a payload of 175kg is reserved for the 2 occupants. The aircraft has been developed on the basis of an existing petrol-powered aircraft (Pipistrel Virus), but among other modifications, the petrol engine has been replaced by a battery and a small but powerful electric motor (65kW or 90hp, of which only 20kW is used for cruising), and the baggage compartment has been replaced by a second battery. Its low weight, long wingspan (10.7m) and aerodynamic design make the Velis Electro a slim, pleasant aircraft to fly.
With a total range of one hour contained in 2 x 10kWh batteries, it is intended more for ‘school’ use, as part of the training of student pilots: local flights of around 45 minutes, consisting of handling exercises (climb, descent, level-off, turns, breakdowns, etc.) or laps of the runway (landings/take-offs). The minimum regulatory reserve on landing is 10 minutes (around 15% of battery) in local flight, but dropping to such an energy level would damage the batteries. Taking a safety margin, the manufacturer therefore requires a return with at least 30% battery power (i.e. 20 minutes). On navigation flights, the regulations are more restrictive: you have to keep 30 minutes (45%) of reserve to be able to divert. You then fly for around 30 minutes before recharging, giving you an approximate range of 65km (35NM), given the relatively low economic cruising speed of 150km/h (80kts). Even though it is not designed for this purpose, it is possible to navigate with this aircraft if a three-phase charger is included, particularly during demonstrations throughout France like today. It is also possible to recharge at fixed charging points installed at certain airfields in France, notably in the Paris region.
After a 40-minute local flight, corresponding to a departure at 80% and a return at 30% battery power, it will take around 40 minutes to recharge from 30% to 80% (20kW charging power). For cruising, the aircraft can be fully recharged, but the charge from 80% to 100% also takes 40 minutes.
The technologies of removable batteries and photovoltaic cells on the wings have been abandoned because these devices are now too penalizing.