Electron 5 zero-emission cargo plane due to hit the market in 2027
DANX Carousel Group is investing in the project as Founding Logistics Partner and is part of the group’s mission to cut carbon emissions by 40 per cent before 2035.
The Electron 5 aircraft is being designed to transport 500 kilogrammes of cargo over a distance of 500 kilometres on a single battery charge.
DANX Carousel specialists were involved in the freighter design of the Electron 5 model, advising on how to best adapt the aircraft to transport freight.
According to the companies involved, with its requirement for relatively short runways, the Electron 5 provides access to five times more European Union (EU) airports compared to larger freight aircraft used today, enabling cargo to be flown directly on the shortest point-to-point route and bypassing congested logistics hubs at speeds of up to 300km/h.
Lars Ryssel, Group chief solutions at DANX Carousel, said: “Sustainability is, of course, the driving force behind our investment in ELECTRON, but the inclusion of the Electron 5 aircraft in our operations will also bring about impressive operational improvements.
“The ability to launch and land closer to our pick-up and delivery points will cut down on journey lengths, allowing us to offer customers later cut-off times and better serve hard-to-reach areas.
“Moving away from the traditional hub-and-spoke distribution of air cargo to a point-to-point model means we can avoid congestion at busy airports.
“Based on our analysis, we believe that small planes are set to outperform conventional aircraft fuelled by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and hybrid aircraft in cost per kilogramme, transit time, and carbon emissions.”
Marc-Henry de Jong, chief commercial operator/chief operations officer and co-founder of ELECTRON aerospace, said: “The expertise of DANX Carousel’s exceptional team is instrumental in ensuring the Electron 5 is well equipped to transport a wide range of cargo, including loose goods like e-commerce parcels and odd-size goods resting on EU palettes.”
Val Karren, sustainability director at DANX Carousel, said: “The future of short-haul air cargo is battery electric – and working with ELECTRON brings us closer to realising that vision.
“The plane will emit zero-emissions while in the air, but the shorter ground deliveries will also cut down on truck emissions as we avoid transporting cargo on the ground to and from regional hubs.
“DANX Carousel is front-line on this delivery model, and I believe this investment is future-proof as smaller planes will always have a unique offering due to their flexibility over larger freighters.”
Electron 5 models are due to hit the market in 2027, with Carousel aiming to add them to their fleet within the next five years.
