Aviation produces about 3 percent of global emissions and the share is growing, so cutting it matters. This category looks at electric flight, which is one of the few ways to reach zero emissions in the air. Our posts follow progress on electric airplanes flying soon, including the Pipistrel electric plane and electric planes from Wright.
Many aircraft will be smaller and shorter-range first, so posts also consider eVTOL aircraft and ask whether they signal the end of helicopters. Battery energy density is the key limit on range, and improvements in battery technology are what shift the boundary of what electric aircraft can do. One post looks at how robots with ChatGPT could assist with aircraft work.
Alternatives get a hard look as well. Sustainable aviation fuels are examined and found unrealistic at scale because of the land, energy and cost needed, compared with electrifying. If you want to see how quickly electric aviation is moving, what routes will go electric first and why fuels made from crops are unlikely to solve the problem, start here.
Aviation produces about 3 percent of global emissions and the share is growing, so cutting it matters. This category looks at electric flight, which is one of the few ways to reach zero emissions in the air. Our posts follow progress on electric airplanes flying soon, including the Pipistrel electric plane and electric planes from Wright.
Many aircraft will be smaller and shorter-range first, so posts also consider eVTOL aircraft and ask whether they signal the end of helicopters. Battery energy density is the key limit on range, and improvements in battery technology are what shift the boundary of what electric aircraft can do. One post looks at how robots with ChatGPT could assist with aircraft work.
Alternatives get a hard look as well. Sustainable aviation fuels are examined and found unrealistic at scale because of the land, energy and cost needed, compared with electrifying. If you want to see how quickly electric aviation is moving, what routes will go electric first and why fuels made from crops are unlikely to solve the problem, start here.
Electric vertical takeoff and landing craft – a combination of helicopter and airplane are coming in 2025 as production and regulations are met. Piloted, 4 seater aand first focus is cross city Uber style from downtown New York, Chicago, Los Angeles to the airport. Joby and Archer are well funded to be sucessful
Electric Planes from Wright are progressing with their developement of a 150 person commercial jet flying routes of 450 km. With powerful 1MW electric motors, they now need 1,000 Wh/kg density batteries.
Robotics and large languge models (eg ChatGPT) from Korean researchers are good enough to fly airplanes. Still only in simulators – when will they really fly planes.
SAF or Sustainable Aircraft fuels are unrealistic. Used cooking oils are as expensive. Agriculture is challenges. Synthetic fuel is expensive. What are some of the options
Airlines generally lose money. So electric, low carbon airplanes are being developed to reduce fuel costs – the largest cost after capital costs. What’s the latest development?
