![]() What we are more likely to see for short-haul flights in the next 20 to 30 years is hybrid aircraft that combine current turbofan engines with new electric propulsor systems. Given the extremely safety conscious nature of the aviation industry, it is unlikely to plan future aircraft on unproven technology. However, they are still at the laboratory stage. A new technology known as lithium-air batteries can theoretically reach the same energy density as jet fuel. So how can electrification help here? Improving battery technology is one option. ![]() Carrying nine passengers with a range of 1,000km, Alice is expected to enter service in 2022.Īlice may be a practical alternative for small, regional journeys but not for most scheduled passenger flights, even short-haul ones. The aircraft, named Alice, doesn’t just swap jet fuel for batteries but is a whole new design concept that improves the way the propulsion system is integrated into the airframe. Israeli firm Eviation recently revealed a prototype version of what it claims will be the world’s first commercial all-electric passenger aircraft. ![]() But replacing two or three passengers with additional batteries would give a range of 500 kilometres to 750 kilometres, compared to a fuel-powered range of over 1,000km. Simply swapping the fuel for batteries might still reduce the distance the plane can fly by an impractical amount. As I said, size matters.įor a five- to ten-seat light aircraft, fuel is likely to make up 10% to 20% of the aircraft’s weight. What’s more, a conventional plane gets lighter as the fuel is consumed, but an electric aircraft would have to carry the same battery weight for the entire flight. This trade-off is particularly bad for long-haul flights because the fuel makes up half of the aircraft’s weight at take-off. To keep its current range, the plane would need batteries weighing 30 times more than its current fuel intake, meaning it would never get off the ground. Even if all the passengers and cargo were replaced with batteries, the range would still be less then 2,000 kilometres. But, according to my calculations, with batteries it could only fly a little over 1,000 kilometres. The world’s largest passenger plane, the Airbus A380, can fly 600 passengers 15,000 kilometres in a single flight. Jet fuel contains around 30 times more energy per kilogram than the most advanced lithium-ion battery currently available. The problem isn’t the propulsion technology but the energy storage. In fact several companies are already developing small electric aircraft and they could come on the market within the next few years.īut for the large aircraft we all use more frequently it is unlikely to happen anytime soon. It is possible for small aircraft to be powered by electricity. This is a complex question and one where size matters. But can electrification help cut emissions from that other carbon-intensive form of passenger transport, flying? Clearly the plan is for all citizens to be driving electric or hybrid-electric cars, or – better still – riding bicycles. The UK government plans to ban the sale of new conventional petrol and diesel cars by 2040.
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