UK’s Aerovolt looks to supercharge electric aviation

At a press event at Dunkeswell Aerodrome in Devon, the Aerovolt team showed off one of their latest installations, an airside charger capable of delivering 22kW to an electric aircraft. For the two-seater electric Pipistrel plane on display at the event, this is enough power to fully charge it in about an hour, resulting in a flight time close to 60 minutes and a range of around 75 nautical miles.

Due to the electricity supply at Dunkeswell being limited to single phase, the Eaton charger is paired with a 320kWh battery storage system comprised of four repurposed Tesla batteries. Provided by Allye, the battery system charges off single phase, while outputting 22kw three phase power to an aircraft and up to four EVs. According to the Aerovolt team, the Allye system was essential for the viability of the Dunkeswell installation, as obtaining three phase power to the site was prohibitively expensive.