Electric Planes in the Sky 2022

A small, electric-powered plane that can seat 12 passengers at a low price, funded by Boeing and JetBlue Airways, will launch in 2022.

The new Seattle project, funded by Boeing and JetBlue Airways' venture capital fund, plans to bring the hybrid-electric aircraft to market for passenger use by 2022.

Electric planes will enter service in 2022.

This is one of Zunum Aero’s bold plans. The company said the plane would be equipped with two electric engines, and could carry 12 passengers, significantly reducing costs and travel times for distances under 1,000 miles.

While rivals like Uber Technologies and aircraft maker Airbus are working on flying cars, Zunum wants to push ahead with electric aircraft. Its advantage is that battery technology and artificial intelligence for obstacle avoidance are improving rapidly.

Zunum said it has no intention of being the first to build and fly an electric plane. Instead, it aims to address the limitations of airlines in regional travel.

The aircraft will be based at smaller airports around major cities, reducing transportation costs in the region. About 96% of US flights pass through 1% of airports, leaving smaller airports largely underutilized.

In addition, this Thursday, the company announced its intention to acquire a company specializing in electricity and autonomous flight to support the project.

Zunum will use Tesla and Panasonic batteries for its electric motors. An additional fuel-powered engine and generator will also be fitted to the aircraft to ensure it does not crash even if the batteries run out. The estimated flight range is more than 1,000 km, the cruising speed is 550 km/h and the altitude is 7,600 m above sea level.

As technology advances, the company hopes to produce a plane that can carry 50 people and fly more than 1,600 km in the next 10 years. The plane is expected to have a single pilot, but the company is also aiming for a remote-controlled design.

Thanks to technological advances, airfares are expected to be quite cheap, only 5 cents/km/seat (about 1,000 VND).

The aircraft engine Zunum is designing will have a propeller, similar to that of a jet, but without an internal combustion chamber. The company is starting to build test models to test the electrical system, batteries, software and other components.

Current batteries only allow the plane to travel 1,600 km, so the design will include a gasoline engine to generate electricity for extended range.

According to Zing