TO UNDERLINE its ambition to make all domestic flights electric by 2040, Norway recently showcased a two-seater electric aircraft produced by Avinor.
The demonstration attracted a lot of attention and renewed talk of Norway鈥檚 bold deadline for the skies, the one domain that has so far largely eluded electrification.
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Yes, there was Solar Impulse, powered solely by the sun, and other experimental aircraft. But they aren鈥檛 mass transit solutions.
Other modes of transport are way ahead when it comes to electric power. By 2025 in Norway, all new cars must be electric. Ships are switching to electric drives, albeit often with diesel generation, and trains are routinely electrified. This is all made possible by high-efficiency electric motors, often combined with advanced batteries. For these forms of transportation, the future is bright.
The reason for the slow progress in aviation can be summed up in one word: energy. The advantage of most conventional propulsion is that liquid fuels can pack far more energy density than even the best batteries. In practice, an electric vehicle has a range defined by how much energy it can carry. For aircraft that is a big deal. Until battery technology improves by an order of magnitude (at least), hopes of large-scale commercial electric flight will be held back by very limited capacity and range.
鈥淣orway has a bold ambition for the skies: it wants its domestic flights to be electric by 2040鈥�
So is Norway鈥檚 target realistic? We have seen significant gains in battery performance in recent years in mobile devices and cars, and there are some exciting potential technologies that may offer further improvements, such as solid state batteries. With each step forward in energy storage technology, the likelihood of commercial electric-powered flight increases.
With engineers far and wide focused on solving the key challenge of higher energy densities for electric propulsion, it is surely possible that this will happen in my lifetime. These aircraft will be incredibly quiet, powerful and fast. With the huge advantage of planes being emission free at the point of use, the airports and skies of the future could be much cleaner and quieter. If Norway cracks it, the way is paved for the world to follow.
This article appeared in print under the headline 鈥淔light of fancy?鈥�
