The Future of Air Travel is Electric

Published Thu, Apr 28th, 2011   Wall Street Daily Research

It looks like many other light aircraft but Elektra One has the power to revolutionize the aviation industry, according to its German developers PC-Aero.

The aircraft is electric. Its batteries, charged by solar cells on the hangar roof, can keep it aloft for hours. It’s a clean, inexpensive and renewable source of power and CEO Calin Gologan says it’s the future of air travel.

“The special thing about our plane, well we found out that the preliminary design goals is to fly more than three hours. It can fly up to five hours with a full battery.”

The aircraft has a range of 400-500 kilometers and it’s around five times quieter than a normal small aircraft.

PC-Aero say the technology could make electric business flights commercially viable.

“We need only to integrate this technology, electric engines, drivers, batteries in optimum systems and we need an optimum system because batteries weigh quite a lot and we need to compensate this weight by means of a perfect aerodynamic and very light structure.”

Elektra One made its maiden flight just last month but already two- and four-seater versions are under development and the company plans to build a six-seater electric air taxi within five years, quietly revolutionizing air travel.

Bottom line: A German company hopes to run the world’s first all-electric commercial aircraft business after successful test flights of its prototype aircraft, the Elektra One. The battery-powered plane can stay aloft for up to five hours and could form the basis of the next generation of executive aircraft, according to its developers.