Is air travel going electric? Air Canada thinks so
Published on Sep 22, 2022 at 10:23 AM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Sep 22, 2022 at 10:23 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
Air Canada has just bought 30 electric aircraft to add to its fleet.
This changes the game because many flagship carriers have been talking about buying electric planes for a while, but Air Canada has actually gone and done it.
That begs a couple of questions: Is air travel going electric? And what does that mean for passengers?
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The electric-hybrid aircraft Air Canada has added to its fleet are made by Heart Aerospace, a Swedish start-up.
Dubbed ‘ES-30’, the plane can carry 30 passengers seated three across with an aisle in between.
Think of them as a significantly smaller and more compact version of the Boeing 737-800 that most low-cost airlines use.
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The plane is capable of flying in electric-only mode for 200 km (120 miles) but the range can be doubled by using additional generators.
With only 25 passengers on board and in electric-hybrid mode, the plane can cover up to 800 km / 500 miles.
Charging takes 30-50 minutes and the range only makes them usable in a limited number of scenarios.
Obviously, this means they can only fly domestically or, in the case of a country as large as Canada is, regionally.
And for the number crunchers out there: the aircraft can cruise at 20,000 ft and needs a 1,100 m runway to take off and land
Furthermore, the aircraft look crazy cool.
This clearly doesn’t make any difference from a technical standpoint but it doesn’t hurt either.
Air Canada says passengers will be able to book a flight on the new electric aircraft in 2028 and that means we can reasonably expect other carriers to be ready to make the switch by then too.
If all goes well in terms of safety and ticket sales for Air Canada, it could kick-start an ‘electric’ revolution by the end of the decade.
Alessandro is an automotive journalist with 10 years of experience covering supercars, automotive history, emerging vehicle technology, and luxury transportation. He wrote the first article published on SupercarBlondie.com when the website launched in 2022 and has since built a reputation for insightful reporting across the automotive and transportation industries. His expertise is grounded in hands-on experience. Alessandro has driven every Tesla model ever produced, from the original Roadster to the Cybertruck, and regularly covers the latest developments in electric vehicles and automotive innovation. His passion for transportation extends beyond cars, he has even flown a Boeing 787 Dreamliner simulator in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His reporting spans everything from classic American muscle cars and rare automotive discoveries to luxury yachts, private aircraft, high-end watches, and cutting-edge vehicle technology. Known for his deep knowledge of automotive history and ability to uncover the stories behind iconic vehicles, Alessandro brings readers a blend of historical context, technical expertise, and first-hand experience.
