EasyJet Promises Electric Planes “Within A Decade”
Jennifer Billock September 28, 2017
EasyJet says electric planes are on the way within a decade – at least once the right battery is invented.
Electric planes for flights under two hours may soon be a thing, according to EasyJet, though the batteries needed for the new planes doesn’t exactly exist yet. The airline has joined forces with Wright Electric, and the two are working toward these electric planes designed to cut down on noise, fuel consumption, and emissions. The inspiration came from the automotive industry’s focus on electric cars for less environmental impact.
“For the first time in my career I can envisage a future without jet fuel and we are excited to be a part of it,” EasyJet’s CEO Dame Carolyn McCall told the Daily Mail. “It is now more a matter of when, not if, a short-haul electric plane will fly.”
Electric planes are expected to be around 50 percent quieter and 10 percent cheaper to buy and operate, a cost-savings which may be shared with passengers by lower fares. There’s currently a two-seat prototype and a 120-passenger plane is expected within the next 10 years.
“You’re seeing cities and countries starting to talk about banning diesel combustion engines,” EasyJet’s CCO Peter Duffy told the Daily Mail. “That would have been unthinkable just a short time ago. As technology moves on attitudes shift, ambitions change and you see opportunities you didn’t see. This is genuinely exciting.”
The two companies believe that short-haul flights could even become zero-emissions and run on solar or wind power within the next 20 years.
[Photo: Shutterstock]
Is this actually realistic from an engineering perspective? Like are we really at a point where battery weight and size is small enough for a commercial jet liner to achieve sustained lift?...and are they going to be able to charge the battery quickly enough for a discount carrier like Easy-Jet to maintain its low turnaround-time? People are really just parroting whatever press-releases Wright Electric (and now EasyJet) puts out. I want to see a realistic analysis of what they're doing.