Boeing-backed EVIO launches hybrid-electric regional airliner with 450 orders

EVIO, a little-known hybrid-electric aircraft developer backed by Boeing, stepped into the spotlight on December 11, 2025, with the public launch of its EVIO 810 regional airliner and a claim of 450 conditional purchase agreements. The clean-sheet aircraft, a 76-seat hybrid-electric design, is aimed at the 50- to 100-seat market and is planned to enter service in the early 2030s. 

The company has been working on the design for several years but had operated largely under the radar until now. EVIO said it secured two major airline customers in 2023 that signed conditional agreements for a combined 250 aircraft, along with options for another 200 units. EVIO has not disclosed the buyers, though it describes them as major carriers with significant regional networks. 

The EVIO 810 is designed to operate in both all-electric and hybrid-electric modes. The company describes its propulsion system as a “strong hybrid” architecture, meaning the aircraft can fly on battery power alone for short segments and switch to a hybrid configuration for longer flights. EVIO says the goal is to give regional airlines lower operating costs, reduced emissions, and more flexibility as operators face rising maintenance expenses on aging turboprops and regional jets. 

Boeing has taken a small investment stake in the company and is providing engineering support, though neither party disclosed financial terms. Pratt & Whitney Canada is leading development of the propulsion system and plans to use the PT6E engine as the core of the hybrid architecture. The collaboration gives EVIO access to two of the industry’s most experienced players, a notable advantage for a start-up trying to advance an all-new aircraft through certification. 

EVIO also plans cargo and defense variants of the aircraft. The company says the 810’s power architecture could support directed-energy systems, onboard power generation for remote operations, and expanded cargo loads, including the ability to carry 463L pallets used by the US military and its allies. EVIO says it designed the aircraft with autonomous operations in mind, though it has not released a timeline for that capability. 

The company argues that the regional market is overdue for a clean-sheet entrant. More than 5,000 regional aircraft will need replacing in the next 20 years, and more than 2,600 have already been retired in the past five years alone, according to EVIO’s analysis. Yet only about 750 new aircraft have entered service over that period, leaving airlines with shrinking fleets and fewer modern options. 

EVIO was founded in 2019 and operates in both Canada and the United States, with Montreal serving as a key base for its aircraft development work. The company had kept a low profile until this week’s public launch of the EVIO 810 but has spent several years refining its hybrid-electric design and assembling a leadership team with experience on major commercial and defense programs. 

The company is led by CEO Michael Derman and Chief Technology Officer Luc Van Bavel, and its board includes two heavyweight aerospace veterans: former Airbus Senior Vice President Rob Dewar, who oversaw the CSeries/A220 program, and former Lockheed Martin executive Frank Cappuccio, who led the Skunk Works advanced design organization and played a central role in the F-35 program. Their presence gives EVIO credibility in a market where clean-sheet aircraft require deep program-management experience and long-term funding. The post Boeing-backed EVIO launches hybrid-electric regional airliner with 450 orders appeared first on AeroTime.

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