What batteries are used in electric aircraft?
Lithium-ion batteries are the leading choice for electric and hybrid-electric aircraft research due to their relatively high energy density, established manufacturing processes, and commercial availability. In short, there is currently no existing battery technology with the effective power-to-weight ratio to get such a large propulsion unit off the ground. Jet fuel contains far more energy than batteries can manage at the same weight (up to 43 times more).The Challenges. When building an electric airplane, the primary challenge is energy density. This is the amount of energy the battery contains per kilogram. Traditional fuels like AV Gas are exceptionally energy-dense at around 43MJ/kg or 12kWh/kg.Because batteries are heavier than Jet Fuel, and planes are all about being light. As for speed, Electric planes wont fly any faster than current planes.
How far can electric aircraft fly?
Fully electric 90-passenger plane could fly 500 miles. Dutch startup Elysian has designed a fully electric regional aircraft, shown in this render, which it says will have a range of 500 miles. Scroll through the gallery to see more high-tech innovations making aviation greener. The E9X concept, designed by the Dutch company Elysian, is a battery-powered plane that can fly up to 500 miles (800 kilometers) on a single charge based on a theoretical battery pack of 360 watt-hours per kilogram — the standard measure of battery density.