Some day soon, we could all be traveling around the world in whisper-quiet electric jetliners.
Just kidding. You can't keep a passenger jet in the air with a ceiling fan. That said, Slovenian aviation firm Pipistrel is now officially taking orders for the Taurus Electro, said to be the first commercially available aircraft which uses electrical power to aid in flight.
Actually it's not technically a plane, but rather a "microlight motorglider",and while I wouldn't want to fly the family to Europe in it, it's a big step forward in practical greener flying. The Electro uses its motor only for take-off, however, operating as a glider while aloft.
While that may not sound revolutionary, battery-powered flight has been difficult to achieve, principally because in the past there haven't been batteries light enough to fit in a plane and still powerful enough to keep the thing flying. However, in recent years innovative technologies have created new opportunities for the prospective carbon-neutral pilot.
The Electro will currently run you about $167,000 and doesn't really have much practical use, but you're almost sure to be the first person on your block to own one.
via [Greentech Media]
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