Interesting how one can be misled by sloppy reporting. The article implies the aircraft (a Pipistrel) is new, Australian and can climb at a rate of 12-15000ft per minute.
For those that would like to be better informed The Slovenian designed and built Pipistrel Alpha Electro is an extension of the Pipistrel Sports Aircraft range. has been out for some time and can climb at a rate of c .1000 feet per minute - similar to that of its Rotax powered stablemates. They are beautifully built, fast fuel efficient and fun to fly ( Rotax vers. pers. exp) . The Pippy 'Virus' ( no joke) is good for 140 Knots and using less than 16litres of ULP per hour.
