Wright Electric is developing an electric aircraft that they hope will be operational within a decade. It isn’t going to be a replacement for all jets. They plan on flying short distance routes to begin, and their design offers some amazing capabilities.
Their jet, called the “Wright One”, is being engineered to fly routes like London to Paris, or New York to Boston. Though its range will be limited, its fully electric operation will make the journey very inexpensive. Conventional jet engines burn a lot of fuel, and this makes them expensive to operate.
The Wright One will use a modular battery system that can be changed out quickly at the airport, so that it can be in operation as much as possible. The designers think this propulsion system will be quieter than a conventional jet engine, as well as producing no direct emissions.
This is not the only electric jet being designed currently, and Airbus is hoping to have a competitor flying before long. It is good to see competition in this area, and with the advent of green electric generation, this sort of airplane technology will make an impact on carbon emissions.
Easyjet, which is a low cost airline in Britain, has expressed interest in this innovation from Wright Electric.
“Easyjet has had discussions with Wright Electric and is actively providing an airline operator’s perspective on the development of this exciting technology,” An Easyjet spokesperson told the BBC recently.
An airplane that has no fuel costs is extremely desirable for an airline, and will give them the ability to control prices in any market they operate in. This is perhaps the biggest economic advantage that green technology offers, with petrochemicals becoming a huge liability for any technology that needs to use them in order to compete.
Once people see that green is both cheaper and cleaner, the interest in expanding its implementation will grow.
[via bbc]
“Once people see that green is both cheaper and cleaner”
I have my doubts about the “cheaper” part and language, this is not the case currently as this plane seems to rely on very expensive battery packs. So while the cost for the energy itself will be very low, nowhere in this article can I see anything about the cost of the plane. Just because it’s The Green Optimistic does not mean you can’t have a little more objective and in-depth reporting…
I’d be cautious even about the “cleaner” part, unless the airports switch to fully renewable energy. Well, maybe that would be “cleanest,” not “cleaner.”