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Elon Musk applauded Heart Aerospace’s first flight of its X1 battery-electric demonstrator on Thursday, which the company says flew for 27 minutes using roughly $5 worth of electricity, while arguing autonomy should come next.
X1 Flight Proves Electric Aviation Scale
“I’m so glad this is being done! An important next step is making it autonomous,” Musk wrote on X.
I’m so glad this is being done!
An important next step is making it autonomous. https://t.co/w034SXv7cQ
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 3, 2026
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Heart said the piloted X1 flew Aug. 12 from Plattsburgh International Airport in New York under an FAA Special Airworthiness Certificate. The 25,000-pound demonstrator climbed to 1,100 feet and delivered more than one megawatt of electric propulsion power.
The company calls X1 the largest battery-electric aircraft ever flown. Founder and CEO Anders Forslund said the test demonstrated electric flight “at the scale of a commercial airliner” and could eventually lower regional aviation costs.
ES-30 Targets Lower Regional Flying Costs
Heart built X1 to support development of its ES-30, a 30-seat hybrid-electric regional aircraft. The company targets 200 kilometers, or 125 miles, of all-electric range and up to 800 kilometers, or 500 miles, in hybrid operation, with a 30-minute charging target and type certification planned for 2031.
Heart says the ES-30 could cut aircraft operating costs by more than 40% once it enters service. The company has also attracted major backing, including a $107 million investment from Breakthrough Energy Ventures, while Air Canada has ordered 30 ES-30 aircraft and invested $5 million in Heart Aerospace.
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Musk Sees Autonomy As Aviation’s Next Step
Musk’s reaction fits his broader view that aviation will eventually electrify and automate. He has previously said “all transport will be autonomous, electric, including aircraft,” and argued short- to medium-range electric aircraft are technically straightforward.
Still, Musk’s call for autonomy goes beyond Heart’s current product roadmap. The X1 flight was piloted, and Heart currently presents the ES-30 as a crewed regional aircraft rather than an autonomous airliner.
Certification remains another hurdle. The FAA describes aircraft certification as a seven-phase process covering standards, design definition, testing and production approval.
The sector is moving quickly. Reuters reported in July that GE Aerospace completed a high-altitude hybrid-electric propulsion flight with NASA and BETA Technologies, highlighting broader efforts to cut fuel use and emissions.
Heart now positions X1 as the proof vehicle enabling ES-30 development toward its 2031 certification target.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock
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