Electric airplanes currently cost more to operate per hour than gas-powered ones. A major factor is the limited life of the battery. Throwing out a $20,000 battery after 700 to 1,000 flights is more expensive than overhauling a piston engine after 2,200 hours.
Nova Scotians funded by Tesla to the rescue? This WIRED article talks about a battery that can handle 4,000 cycles.
Related:
- May 2018 post with some discussion in the comments about battery cycle life (also a discussion about Californians using taxpayer funds to run Slovenian electric airplanes: “The students flying these world’s-most-advanced training aircraft are currently “unemployed.” In other words, they are young Americans who can’t get organized, in one of the tightest labor markets in U.S. history, to walk down to McDonald’s at 3 pm and start an evening shift. The California officials, however, have decided to train them for a job that requires getting up at 4:30 am.” The flight school’s blog suggests that the project is on hold pending FAA regulatory approval.)
Maybe we should start making GA cheaper by switching light aircraft over to mogas? Even the ethenol free stuff is half the price of 100LL.
Why on earth would you work at McDonald’s if someone is willing to pay you to fly? (on the topic of the referenced post)
Didn’t know electric airplanes were running their batteries all the way to destruction. They normally can’t be drawn below 50% to have any longevity, so that’s 50 seconds of flying. Another day, another battery breakthrough just around the corner. They must be exceeding fusion by now.
We need a philg user report on the electric pilot training planes. Looks like they are going to succeed.