Electric Airplanes Are Coming

Air travel accounts for 2% of global CO2 emissions, and that share is expected to rise to 12–27% by 2050[1] if no action is taken. In our previous article about transforming transport to low carbon we indicated that electrical aviation technology is primed to take over short-haul regional flights. Data shows that 40% of worldwide emissions are from short-haul flights. About 4% of global emissions are from routes under 200 km, and 9% of global emissions are from routes under 400 km. Today, trips under 1300 km account for about 33% of global emissions.[2] Electrification changes the equation for regional…...