Electric Planes Soar Toward Battery Breakthroughs and Hybrid Skies

Norway is making big steps toward cleaner aviation with the arrival of Alia, an electric aircraft built by Beta Technologies from the United States. Earlier this month, Alia completed a 100-mile flight from Stavanger to Bergen in just 55 minutes, powered only by batteries. This is a significant improvement over the four and a half hours it would take to drive the same route. The plane is designed mainly for cargo, able to carry up to 560 kilograms, but it can also be changed to carry passengers or be used for medical transport. The pilot, Jeremy Degagne, said the flight was an important milestone for Norway, which is working to reduce pollution from airplanes.

Alia can travel up to 400 kilometers on a single battery charge and can recharge in less than 40 minutes, similar to how electric cars work. The plane has been on a tour across Europe, stopping in Ireland, Germany, Denmark, and appearing at major air shows in Farnborough and Paris. Beta Technologies, which has support from companies like Amazon and UPS, hopes to get approval to use Alia in the United States soon. Shawn Hall, Beta's chief revenue officer, believes electric planes will be the next big thing in aviation because they are cheaper to operate and better for the environment. Currently, airplanes are responsible for about 3 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions.

Despite these advances, there are still challenges. The batteries used in electric planes are heavy and do not store as much energy as traditional jet fuel, which limits how far electric planes can fly. Only one electric plane, the Pipistrel Velis Electro, has received full certification in Europe, but it is mainly used for training and cannot carry passengers over long distances. To solve these problems, some companies are developing hybrid planes that use both batteries and regular fuel. Heart Aerospace, for example, is working on a plane that can switch between battery power and fuel, allowing it to carry more passengers and travel farther. Other companies, like Electra and Beta Technologies, are also working on hybrid and even autonomous planes. Experts believe that hybrid systems could help make flying quieter and cleaner, especially in cities. However, there is still a lot of work to be done to make electric and hybrid planes safe, reliable, and affordable for everyone.