An all-electric airplane sponsored by Airbus recently completed its first flight in Mindelheim, Bavaria, Germany. The test flight is part of an ongoing program to test the limits of electricity as a viable power source for passenger planes.

The two-seat electric-airplane, called the eGenius, was in the air for approximately 2o minutes to gauge handling and check the propulsion system. With a maximum takeoff weight of around 1,875 pounds, and a wingspan of roughly 55 feet, the airplane has a stated range of almost 250 miles.

image via Airbus

The eGenius has a cruise speed of about 146 miles per hour, similar to a single engine gasoline plane like a Cessna. Designed by the Institute of Aircraft Design at the University of Stuttgart, Germany, and unveiled this April the airplane is equipped with a 60 kilowatt electric engine.

We recently noted another electric airplane project in Germany called the Elktra One which was also undergoing test flights, and another in the United States. While these flight times are somewhat short, we’ve also noted some interesting solar-powered planes, like one that flew from Switzerland to Belgium, that stay in the air for a long amount of time, albiet at much, much slower speeds.