Electric Planes Aim to Soar High for Cleaner Aviation

by Djallal Malti and Bojan Kavcic (Agence France-Presse/Industry Week) Ultra light, fast and cheap: more than a century after the Wright brothers flew the world’s first powered aircraft, a small Slovenian company now hopes to revolutionize the aviation industry with its award-winning electric planes.

Pipistrel’s pioneering Taurus Electro is seen as a breath of fresh air in a sector responsible for 13% of CO2 emissions from all transport sources. Launched in 2007, around 20 orders are now put in every year for the two-seater plane, which is produced in a factory in the town of Ajdovscina, close to the Italian border.

The 110,000 euro ($120,914) price tag is offset by the plane’s inexpensive maintenance: at 70 cents an hour, the Taurus is 10 times cheaper to run than traditional twin-seater planes, according to Pipistrel.

The large-winged aircraft can thrust itself to an altitude of 6,562 feet, after which the engine is retracted and the Taurus glides across the sky as a sailplane.

But behind the deceptively easy usage lies a highly complex design. The most crucial element – and biggest challenge – is the lithium battery, which needs to be light yet sturdy so that it doesn’t catch fire if it overheats. READ MORE