A plane called Alice hopes to steal the limelight at the Paris air show this week. The biennial event traditionally features the world’s aerospace giants Boeing and Airbus slugging it out in a very public battle of orders, but this year it promises to showcase the industry’s bright hope for the future: electric aircraft.

The brainchild of an Israel-based start-up called Eviation, Alice — which is still under development — promises to redefine the regional aircraft market by carrying nine passengers up to 650 miles at a cruise speed of 240 knots. Many in the industry believe that an all-electric aircraft with a useful range and seating capacity is at least a decade away but some pioneers like Eviation believe that future could come sooner. The company hopes to begin shipping its plane for commercial use as soon as 2022.

Alice will have competition at the show. Some of the world’s biggest industrial names from Boeing to Rolls-Royce are working on plans to bring electrically powered aircraft to market. The industry is in the throes of the greatest revolution since the development of the jet engine by Frank Whittle in 1937.