BAE Systems and Swedish electric airplane maker Heart Aerospace are pairing up to "define the battery system" for the Heart ES-30 regional aircraft.
The battery, the companies said, "will be the first-of-its-kind to be integrated into an electric conventional takeoff and landing (eCTOL) regional aircraft, allowing it to efficiently operate with zero emissions and low noise".
"Our industry-leading solution builds on decades of expertise delivering technologies and systems needed to progress sustainable transportation," said Ehtisham Siddiqui, vice president and general manager of controls and avionics solutions at BAE Systems.
"BAE Systems' extensive experience in developing batteries for heavy-duty ground applications, and their experience in developing safety critical control systems for aerospace, make them an ideal partner in this important next step for the ES-30 and for the aviation industry," said Sofia Graflund, chief operating officer at Heart Aerospace.
The ES-30 will be powered by four electric motors to give it "an all-electric range" of 200 kilometese, topped off by an "extended reserve hybrid range of 400 kilometres" with 30 passengers and ability to fly up to 800 kilometres with 25 passengers.
Heart Aerospace has received 230 orders and 100 options for the ES-30.