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For the first time, and in front of the cameras, Norwegian Transport Minister Ketil Solvik-Olsen, accompanied by Dag Falk-Petersen, CEO of Avinor (the Norwegian airport operator), took a 15-minute flight in a small plane in the city. What makes this flight special is that the plane was entirely electric, marking the realization of a dream: the first fully electric-powered flight.
The purpose of the flight was to highlight Norway's commitment to reducing carbon emissions. By 2040, Norway intends for all short-haul flights departing from its airports to be operated by electric planes. This commitment is one of the most ambitious promises made to date in terms of reducing the aviation sector’s greenhouse gas emissions. However, one of the obstacles to achieving this goal is the lack of large electric planes capable of carrying passengers, as current electric planes are small, like the one that took Solvik-Olsen and Falk-Petersen, which barely accommodates two adults.
The officials mentioned that they had to adhere to a strict diet to lose weight before the flight. However, Falk-Petersen is hopeful that the situation will change soon. He stated that Norwegian aviation authorities, just a few years ago, doubted the possibility of relying entirely on electricity to manage air travel. "That was until our board visited Airbus in Toulouse around three years ago. There, they learned that Airbus was already working on developing an electric-powered plane. And it wasn't just Airbus; Boeing was also involved through Zunum Aero, with contributions from NASA. After that, we decided to launch an electric aircraft program in Norway."
Norway is an ideal place to launch such experiments, due to its mountainous terrain and rugged coastline dotted with numerous islands, necessitating many short flights. (Avinor is responsible for operating 46 airports in Norway.) Ground and sea travel often take much longer than short flights, especially in winter when snow blocks many roads and railways.
Falk-Petersen explained, "Many of our flights last between 15 and 30 minutes, often through difficult mountainous terrain, which is why we plan to issue a tender to aircraft manufacturers within a year or two." Norway aims for companies to produce 25- to 30-passenger planes powered by electric motors, with the first of these entering service by 2025. Falk-Petersen believes this is realistic given the current advances in electric aircraft development.
Last year, the consulting firm Roland Berger indicated that more than 100 projects worldwide are focused on developing electric-powered aircraft. One of these is Pipistrel in Slovenia, whose spokesperson stated that the company is in the process of producing several four-person planes, including the Taurus G4, the world's first four-seat electric aircraft.
The spokesperson added, "We have also developed other models for four-person aircraft that use alternative propulsion systems like hydrogen, as well as a dual-engine for a four-seat aircraft. This plane is expected to take off in 2019 according to the plan."
The company says it is focusing in the near term on two- and four-passenger planes for use as training aircraft, while also planning a 19-passenger plane with a dual-fuel engine for short-haul flights by 2025.
In addition to Pipistrel, Zunum Aero, based near Seattle, is also planning aircraft similar to what Norway hopes to soon utilize. Zunum Aero was founded in 2013 and has received investments from the aviation giant Boeing. The company seeks to produce larger, heavier planes.
Zunum Aero’s CEO Ashish Kumar said the company is committed to meeting Norway's needs as part of a broader program to reduce emissions from transportation. Kumar noted that his company has been working in the field for five years, stating, "We've followed the experiences of others in developing these aircraft and have learned from them."
Initially, Zunum Aero plans to produce a short-haul aircraft capable of carrying 12 passengers by 2022, while planning another model that can carry 50 passengers over a distance of 1,000 miles by 2027. The company's ambitions don't stop there, as Kumar believes it will be possible to operate a plane carrying 100 passengers over 1,500 miles by the late 2020s. He is confident in the company's ability to meet Norway’s needs.
These are ambitious plans, given the challenges of designing an electric passenger aircraft. Planes carrying dozens of passengers, along with their luggage, require vast amounts of energy to take off and remain airborne. Although today's aircraft are lighter and more fuel-efficient than before, there is no fuel other than kerosene with the energy density sufficient for use in passenger aircraft.
While batteries store electrical energy, it was previously thought that too many batteries would be needed to provide enough power for even a small plane, making its weight exceed the plane's ability to take off and fly. However, Kumar said that batteries are perhaps the least of the challenges, as the bigger issue lies in the other electrical systems of such a plane. The question is whether the batteries can provide enough energy safely and reliably to operate sensitive flight systems consistently, and what about the heat generated by the batteries?
One solution is to reduce the overall size of planes used for short-haul flights. Currently, most aircraft are designed for medium- and long-haul flights. Kumar pointed out that these planes "are designed for trips of 4,000 miles, while 80 percent of the flights they serve are under 1,500 miles. In other words, planes designed for medium- to long-distance flights are being used for short routes." It is now necessary to stop using these larger, heavier, and more expensive planes for short-haul routes and replace them with more suitable aircraft.
Both Zunum Aero and Avinor point to other advantages of fully electric planes beyond reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Smaller aircraft won't require large runways, allowing them to take off and land at smaller airports. Additionally, the noise generated by electric planes will be less, allowing more flights to be scheduled late at night and early in the morning.
If battery weight can be reduced, the overall weight of the plane will decrease, meaning less energy will be required to operate it. This will result in lower operating costs and cheaper tickets, which will encourage airlines to operate more electric planes, much like the rise of low-cost carriers.
Kumar explained that current planes already generate massive amounts of power to operate their flight systems. For example, the Boeing 787 "Dreamliner" generates around 1.3 megawatts, enough to power 850 homes. Kumar believes that the greatest challenge will be generating five megawatts, which he expects will be sufficient to power a plane carrying 100 passengers.
Falk-Petersen expects that at least the first generation of these planes in Norway will rely on hybrid or dual-fuel technology. According to aviation safety regulations, planes must carry enough fuel as a reserve in case of emergency diversions. Hybrid cars, like the Toyota Prius, have proven valuable for services like Uber. Batteries can be charged and stored for use when needed, swapped with used batteries, which are then charged and used in another plane.
If Norway's plan succeeds, its effects could extend to other countries. If all flights under 90 minutes were operated by electric planes, the range could include nearby Scandinavian cities, as well as other countries. Other nations will need to buy these planes for companies to cover their costs and make profits.
Falk-Petersen said that Airbus plans to develop an electric plane that can carry 100 passengers over 1,000 kilometers by 2030. A major challenge for this project will be the infrastructure. Despite Norway's wealth and strong transportation network, transporting kerosene is a complicated and expensive process. Norway will need to decide whether to connect charging stations for its new electric planes to the national grid or use alternative means of generating the necessary electricity.
Norway has already taken the first step toward fully electric short-haul flights. Falk-Petersen's much-publicized flight was not a one-off event. He explained, "That flight lasted about 15 to 20 minutes, and I did 12 flights in the same day without having to delay even once to recharge the batteries."
He continued, "We took off with a fully charged battery, and after landing 20 minutes later, we had only used a quarter of the battery. We parked the plane where the technician wanted to charge it, while we quickly debriefed and prepared for the next flight. When we returned to the plane, we found it fully charged, just as it was before the previous flight."
Falk-Petersen concluded, "We believe that electric flight technology has become a reality."