For years, venture capitalists and tech bros have burned through billions of dollars promising us flying electric cars. We have all seen the slick CGI videos of battery-powered air taxis whisking executives over gridlocked highway traffic. Yet, while Silicon Valley was busy chasing vaporware, a quiet electric aviation revolution actually … [continued]
Heart Aerospace’s X1 represents the less glamorous but more consequential aviation transition: electrifying an existing market rather than inventing a new one.
Heart Aerospace’s X1 demonstrator flew for 27 minutes on August 12 from Plattsburgh International Airport, powered entirely by batteries. The aircraft has a 106-foot wingspan, weighed more than 25,000 pounds at takeoff and drew more than a megawatt at peak. Heart calls it the largest battery-electric aircraft ever flown. The … [continued]
SolarAnywhere® is often associated with utility-scale or distributed PV, but our solar irradiance data powers a lot more than solar plants. A great example: Piotr Lichota at the Warsaw University of Technology is using SolarAnywhere to figure out when to launch solar-assisted Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and how long they can realistically stay … [continued]
The long-held rule is a commonsense protection against sonic booms and unnecessary climate emissions. Washington, D.C. — Today, Earthjustice and Sierra Club filed comments urging the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) not to repeal its long-held ban on commercial supersonic flight over land. “The FAA’s proposal to allow supersonic flights over our communities … [continued]
Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft startup Joby is one of those startups that seems to have been around for ages, but it’s been hard to know if any of these eVTOL aircraft companies are going anywhere. We’re yet to find out if any of these eVTOL companies have … [continued]
SolarAnywhere® is often associated with utility-scale or distributed PV, but our solar irradiance data powers a lot more than solar plants. A great example: Piotr Lichota at the Warsaw University of Technology is using SolarAnywhere to figure out when to launch solar-assisted Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and how long they can realistically stay … [continued]
The #1 battery maker in the world, CATL, has developed a battery for use in electric aircraft — in particular, for passenger eVTOL aircraft (electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft). The battery has now passed an important safety test. The company intentionally triggered two adjacent cells and that didn’t lead … [continued]
Despite the sharp U-turn in federal energy policy, the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) movement is growing in the US, with winter camelina among the energy crops playing a role.
T&E’s in-depth review of the EU Commission’s Electrification Action Plan Electrification is the clearest way to cut energy demand, increase Europe’s competitiveness and lower energy prices. The European Commission’ electrification plan puts direct electrification of transport and other sectors front and centre. Increasing EV sales — cars, vans, buses and … [continued]
Illustrative economic stress test: about 91% of passenger journeys are chosen consumption, including personal discretionary and institutional convenience travel.
Aviation performs useful economic work. It connects remote communities, moves urgent and high-value cargo, brings visitors to places that genuinely depend on tourism and enables work that still requires people to be physically present with equipment, sites, customers or negotiating partners. Those are strong arguments for aviation as a service. … [continued]
