Electric vehicles are of great importance to our society these days. Not only are we seeing more developments in the world of electric cars, but there are also boats, trucks, and small aircraft going electric these days. EasyJet, one of the world’s most prominent companies in the aviation industry, is betting big on electric commercial aircraft. It’s a very interesting turn of events that will undoubtedly send shockwaves throughout the industry as a whole.
EASYJET WANTS ELECTRIC PLANES TO BECOME THE NEW NORM
When it comes to the development of electric aircraft, not too much progress has been made yet. While there are plenty of entities active in this industry, one doesn’t create tangible results out of thin air in mere weeks or months. EasyJet acknowledges there is a major push taking place behind the scenes, and the company is more than willing to lend a hand in this regard, by the looks of things.
EasyJet recently unfolded a plan that shocked many people. While there is nothing wrong with being ambitious, the company hopes to achieve some milestones which may not necessarily be feasible. In the best-case scenario, it aims to fly passengers using electric aircraft on short-haul routes within the next 10 years or so. The company has acknowledged such efforts may require up to 20 years, though.
Moreover, EasyJet is backing plans for a new airplane prototype which is being developed by Wright Electric. The US-based firm has been successful in creating a two-seat battery-powered plane, but building commercial aircraft is something else entirely. Said aircraft is expected to have a range of 335 miles, although it remains to be seen whether that is even feasible given current technologies.
If such an electric aircraft were to be built, EasyJet could deploy it to fly from Amsterdam to London or Edinburgh to Brussels, for instance. It is not the first time we have heard of such ambitious plans by the company, as its original involvement dates back to March of this year. What is even more interesting is how the new electric airplane should be capable of carrying up to 220 passengers. These are extremely ambitious plans by EasyJet, although they may be feasible given enough time and research.
It is evident the aviation sector stands to gain a lot from electric technology in reducing their impact on our environment. While this option is mainly being explored in the automotive industry right now, there is no reason to think airplanes couldn’t benefit from this research in the future. One of the issues to be addressed is how companies will develop new energy storage solutions capable of preserving more energy than current batteries. It would be quite disastrous to run out of electricity mid-flight, after all.
For the time being, we will have to wait and see if Wright Electric can come through with its prototype. Going from a two-seater to a plane capable of carrying 220 passengers plus cargo is not an easy feat by any means. Nevertheless, it is an interesting industry to keep an eye on over the coming years, as a lot of progress can be made when people least expect it. EasyJet is taking a big risk by backing such efforts, but someone has to lead the pack.
