09/30/2015. Remarks by Walter van Tilborg: "The all-composite construction E-Fan was developed under the leadership of Didier Esteyne of ACS (Aero Composite Saintonge), a French company pioneering electro-motor powered light planes. ACS had previously produced, in co-operation with European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) a modified Cri-Cri, redesignated E-Cri-Cri, which was fitted with four small electro motors in push/pull configuration developing a total of some 30 hp and the aircraft was first flown 2010.

The E-Fan project was first announced in 2011 and an official go-ahead was given in October 2012. A Proof of Concept (PoC) aircraft was unveiled at the 2013 Paris air show (with fake registration F-WATT) after the project attracted the interest of the EADS Innovation Works (later renamed as Airbus Group Innovations). Airbus founded a special subsidiary, VoltAir SAS in 2014 for further development and production and Daher-SOCATA was contracted as partner for technical design support and certification of the aircraft, which was planned as the world's first certificated all electric motor aircraft.

The pictured proof of concept E-Fan (E-Fan 1.0) is fitted with two electric motors delivering a combined power of 80 hp, each driving a ducted variable pitch fan. The engines are fed by 120 KOKAM Lithium Ion batteries installed in the wing roots. F-WILE made the first flight on March 11, 2014, followed by a first public flight in April. It has tandem seating and an landing gear consisting of two retractable tandem main wheels and small fixed outrigger wheels. An unusual feature was that the rear wheel was driven by a small electric motor used for taxiing and initial phase of the take off run.

E-Fan 2.0: Projected two-seat trainer largely based on the proof of concept aircraft, but with side-by-side seating and a fixed tricycle type landing gear. Production is expected to be launched in 2017.

E-Fan 4.0: Projected four-seat version with the same power plant, but augmented by a small internal combustion engine used to recharge the batteries for increased range/endurance."