Aerospace startup uses long-forgotten design to crack the code on all-electric long-distance flights — here are the features that make it possible
Story by Jeremiah Budin • 9h •
The aviation industry is responsible for around 3.5% of all planet-overheating air pollution. One Dutch aerospace startup is attempting to provide a solution to that problem with something that, until recently, was thought to be essentially impossible: battery-powered electric airplanes.
Elysian, the startup, estimates that its E9X model could take 90 passengers up to 497 miles using battery-powered planes, New Atlas reported. The company also said that it is confident that it will be able to achieve a 621-mile range. It is currently aiming to create a prototype and "take to the skies" in 2033.
While battery-electric airplanes certainly sound great in theory, the realities of battery technology have prevented them from coming to fruition so far based on practical considerations. In short, any existing battery large to power an airplane is too large and heavy to build an airplane around. Although battery technology continues to make advances, current batteries have simply not been energy-dense enough to be viable for this application.
But it's those advances that Elysian is banking on. The company pointed to CATL's ultra-high-density "condensed battery" as one component that could make its electric planes work.
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