# Why Electric Aviation Is Finally Becoming Possible | Anders Forslund

- Show: [Hardware to Save a Planet](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet)
- Published: 2026-09-03
- Length: 43m
- Episode: 103
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-09-03-why-electric-aviation-is-finally-becoming-possible-anders-forslund
- Listen: https://podcasts.fame.so/e/1n2r3jzn-electric-aviation-is-becoming-possible-anders-forslund

## Summary

Anders Forslund, Co-founder and CEO of Heart Aerospace, explains how the company is developing the ES-30, a 30-passenger hybrid-electric regional aircraft, to decarbonize short-haul flights. He details the economic viability of the project, noting that battery energy density hitting 400 watt-hours per kilogram and leveraging commoditized automotive supply chains have made unit economics favorable, with test flight energy costs under $10. Forslund discusses the technical challenges of certification, the importance of physical testing over simulation, and the strategic decision to build a clean-sheet airframe to avoid the 'lost generation' of engineering knowledge in legacy aerospace.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-09-03-why-electric-aviation-is-finally-becoming-possible-anders-forslund#t=0) Introduction: Anders Forslund and Heart Aerospace
- [2:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-09-03-why-electric-aviation-is-finally-becoming-possible-anders-forslund#t=140) Origin Story and the Battery Inflection Point
- [5:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-09-03-why-electric-aviation-is-finally-becoming-possible-anders-forslund#t=355) Unit Economics and Automotive Synergies
- [10:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-09-03-why-electric-aviation-is-finally-becoming-possible-anders-forslund#t=601) Market Drivers and Hybrid Strategy
- [12:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-09-03-why-electric-aviation-is-finally-becoming-possible-anders-forslund#t=764) ES-30 Specifications and System Architecture
- [18:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-09-03-why-electric-aviation-is-finally-becoming-possible-anders-forslund#t=1106) Prototyping, Testing, and Certification
- [26:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-09-03-why-electric-aviation-is-finally-becoming-possible-anders-forslund#t=1602) The Lost Generation of Aerospace Engineering
- [31:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-09-03-why-electric-aviation-is-finally-becoming-possible-anders-forslund#t=1900) Business Model and Future Vision
- [37:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-09-03-why-electric-aviation-is-finally-becoming-possible-anders-forslund#t=2263) Climate Optimism and Advice for Founders

## Topics

- [Energy & climate tech](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/energy-and-climate-tech)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)
- [Certification & compliance](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/certification-and-compliance)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Heart Aerospace (company)
- ES-30 (product)
- X1 (product)
- United Airlines (company)
- Air Canada (company)
- Breakthrough Energy (company)
- Y Combinator (company)
- Lower Carbon Capital (company)
- Chalmers University (other)
- MIT (other)
- Tesla (company)
- Rivian (company)
- SpaceX (company)
- Boeing (company)
- ATR (company)
- SAS (company)
- Air New Zealand (company)
- FAA (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Electrifying aviation with Kyle Clark of BETA Technologies](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-08-24-electrifying-aviation-with-kyle-clark-of-beta-technologies) (How I Built This)
- [HIBT Lab! Universal Hydrogen: Paul Eremenko](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-10-20-hibt-lab-universal-hydrogen-paul-eremenko) (How I Built This)
- [EP Systems: The Power Behind Electric Aviation](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2022-12-06-ep-systems-the-power-behind-electric-aviation) (Moore's Lobby)
- [Booking your first zero-emissions flight](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2022-08-18-booking-your-first-zero-emissions-flight) (Catalyst)
- [Reinventing Sea Travel with Billy Thalheimer of REGENT](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2023-01-05-reinventing-sea-travel-with-billy-thalheimer-of-regent) (Over the Air)

## Citing this page

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