Electric Planes, Good or Bad Idea? – Jamie P
During my Geography lesson today we spoke about the possibility of electric planes, and if they are a viable invention. Are they going to benefit or cause detriment to society and the comfortable transport network that we know and love today.
Some Context…
Per year, 1 billion tons of CO2 is emitted by global aviation, amounting to more than all emissions produced by Germany annually. Commercial aviation averaged 141.9 grams of CO2 per-seat-per mile in August 2022, and private jets emit more than 33 million tonnes of greenhouse gases per year. Taylor Swift has emitted more CO2 since January from flights alone than the average person does per year… yeah… mad.
What Has Happened So Far?
Many, if not most, airlines have promised to reduce their carbon footprint by 50% from 2005 to 2050. To help meet this goal, airlines such as Airbus and Heart Aerospace are developing battery-powered aircrafts, and United Airlines placed an order for 100 planes in July 2021, aiming to have electric planes flying by 2030.
What Are The Benefits?
There are obvious benefits to electric, battery-powered planes, reasons that fuel (no pun intended) the main purpose of the planes in the first place.
They will have reduced fuel costs, quieter operations and increased reliability. Thanks to noise reduction programs, the number of people exposed to significant aviation noise exposure in the U.S. has declined from roughly 7 million to just over 400,000 today. Also, electric motors have fewer moving parts which make them less susceptible to wear and more reliable overall.
What Are The Drawbacks?
First and foremost, electric vehicles require battery power. Electric power motors used in electric aircrafts are heavier for airplanes to stay up in the air. They can be toxic, rupture easily, short-circuit, catch fire and are expensive.
A new battery-powered commercial aircraft can carry nine passengers up to 250 miles, but on average they can travel about 30. To put it into perspective, to drive from school to London is 81 miles, and to fly from London Stansted to Paris is 231 miles.
Examples of Electric Aircrafts
Yuneec E430
Cri-Cri
Sky Spark
Have a look, use this article and do some of your own research and form your own opinion on whether electric planes are a good idea or not. Personally, I’m impartial, but I am also willing to be swayed…
Post Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.