According to The Seattle Times, an all-electric plane model took its inaugural flight Tuesday morning in Washington State, United States.
If the US Federal Aviation Administration approves it, it will be the first all-electric commercial aircraft to carry people.
The aircraft, built by startup Eviation, was designed to transport nine passengers and two pilots when it took off from Moses Lake, Washington, at 7:10 a.m. and landed eight minutes later.
The company’s goal, according to the report, was to demonstrate that such electric planes are as sustainable as passenger jets operating at a height of roughly 15,000 feet.
The plane was created by a team of American and Israeli experts and is powered by 21,500 tiny Tesla-style battery cells.
The greatest hurdle to electric aviation becoming a reality in passenger aircraft, according to aviation and aeronautical specialists, is the battery.
“The sticking issue, like with cars, but more so in airplanes, is battery technology.” This is because the main worry with planes is weight,” Aero Consulting Experts CEO Ross Aimer explained.
“All of these electric planes will eventually come as soon as we have improved battery technology, which I expect will be in two or three years.”
