Electric planes are nearing reality, with commercial flights coming from United Airlines in 2026. While battery weight challenges long-haul travel, smaller electric private jets and hybrid aircraft are paving the way for sustainable aviation. Major players like Rolls-Royce and NASA are all involved.
How close are we to electric planes?
While the first electronically powered flight was over a century ago, the future of electric aviation is now taking shape with a new push to create commercial electric airplanes. These innovative planes represent a significant step towards sustainable aviation solutions, aiming to carry passengers without the need for traditional jet fuel. We'll explore how close we are to seeing them in our skies, how they work, and the technological hurdles that still surround their production.
Electric passenger planes are already a reality
Following the signing of the Paris Climate Accords in 2016 – which aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 – investment and innovation in electric-powered technology have ramped up, and now we’re just a few short years away from electric aircraft flying paying passengers around the world.
Countries like Denmark and Sweden have already announced plans to make all domestic flights fossil fuel-free by 2030, while United Airlines has purchased 100 19-seater, zero-emission, electric planes from Swedish startup Heart Aerospace, which are set to take flight in the US in 2026. This could be just the start of a new era of electric air travel.
easyJet
easyJet’s fleet could include electric planes before any other major European operator. The budget airline’s partnership with US startup Wright Electric has led to the development of the Wright 1 – an all-electric, 186-seat passenger jet with an 800-mile range that’s set to enter service by 2030.
AeroTEC
AeroTEC, selected by RTX business Pratt & Whitney Canada, is leading the modification and flight test of an experimental aircraft, a De Havilland Canada Dash 8-100. It recently achieved a major milestone by successfully completing full-power tests of its RTX hybrid-electric propulsion system. The project, which uses a Pratt & Whitney Canada thermal engine and a Collins Aerospace electric motor, aims to achieve up to a 30% improvement in fuel efficiency compared to today's regional turboprops.
Heart Aerospace
Heart Aerospace’s electric plane is the Heart Experimental 1 (Heart X1), a full-scale 30-passenger regional aircraft that’s powered by a hybrid-electric system. The X1 will undergo ground-based testing, including charging and taxiing procedures, followed by its first fully electric flight. The company is using the X1 to test and develop its technology, with partial funding provided by the Swedish Innovation Agency Vinnova.
Boeing
Boeing has also tested an electric passenger air vehicle (PAV) of their own. The fully autonomous aircraft has a maximum range of up to 50 miles and was designed for Uber Air and its flying taxi service. Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences has also been asked to provide aircraft modification, system integration, and flight-testing services for NASA’s EPFD project.
Airbus
Airbus’ E-Fan 1.1 became the first electric plane to cross the English Channel in 2015. The company is now investing in the development of hybrid-propulsion commercial aircraft with jet engines supported by battery power, such as the E-Fan X, while its EcoPulse project investigates how to minimize the amount of power each propulsor requires.
VoltAero
VoltAero’s HPU 210 hybrid power unit made its US debut at EAA AirVenture in July, marking a significant step in hybrid-electric aviation. The HPU 210, which combines a high-performance 150-kW Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX-derived piston engine with a 60-kW electric motor, has been designed for homebuilt, kit-built, and very light aircraft. The system delivers a 40% boost in takeoff and climb power, which is controlled by a single throttle, and can use multiple fuel types, including unleaded auto fuel and biofuel. The company has already begun taking reservations for production slots, with deliveries expected to begin in late 2026.
Ampaire
LA startup Ampaire’s Electric EEL is one of the first hybrid electric aircraft to win approval under the FAA’s experimental aircraft certification. Combining electric and jet fuel, the modified three-passenger Cessna 336 Skymaster completed a 341-mile test flight in 2020, which the company says is the longest ever electric-hybrid flight for a commercial aircraft.
How do electric planes work?
While electric vehicles have been on our roads for years, how does an electric private jet work? Just like their automotive counterparts, they use motors powered by lithium-ion batteries instead of fuel. When a battery is charged, a chemical reaction causes lithium to release electrons, which flow from the anode to the cathode and power the attached device – in this case, a propeller. While this process makes electric motors very powerful in short bursts, this characteristic is not yet ideal for flying a heavy, long-haul private jet.
What are the challenges with electric planes?
The world’s first electronically powered flight was in 1883, and recent advances in battery technology have enabled the production of incredibly fast road vehicles, so why are we still some ways off from being able to power all-electric 747s or A380s?
The main challenge today is to fly larger aircraft over long distances. This issue stems from the fact that today’s lithium-ion batteries simply don’t offer the same amount of energy density as a jet fuel-powered engine can. Powering a large commercial aircraft for long distances would require several heavy batteries that would take up as much as 60% of the plane’s total weight, compared to just 30% when using jet fuel. This power-to-weight challenge means planes at the forefront of the zero-carbon race can only transport small groups on short flights. The easyJet-backed Wright 1, for example, is designed to transport passengers for just an hour.
Time and money also come into the equation. Certifying a new aircraft is arduous and expensive, with a five-to-seven-year wait for a clean-sheet design. And once a plane is built, it needs to undergo multiple tests and approvals before it can be delivered to buyers.
Are we far from having electric private jets?
Aside from a few exceptions like the easyJet-backed Wright 1, most of the fully electric planes due for release in the next decade are smaller than jet-fuel-powered commercial jets and have shorter ranges, making them well-suited to private use.
Private aircraft can generally seat up to 20 passengers and make shorter flights than commercial planes. A turboprop, for example, can only cover 1,500 miles non-stop. Electric aircraft can’t quite match this, but with half of global flights covering under 500 miles, they’ll still be a good fit for private jet clients traveling shorter distances.
However, before these kinds of aircraft take off, air taxis, similar to overgrown drones or futuristic helicopters, promise to bring price and convenience to urban flying first. These eVTOLs (vertical takeoff and landing airplanes) are set to be in our skies in the coming years, transporting a few select passengers short distances in an all-electric chopper. Archer Aviation is among the organizations closest to bringing this kind of aircraft to the masses. Their eVTOL aircraft gained FAA airworthiness certification and completed its first successful hover flight in 2021, and it aims to launch in 2026.
Will hybrid commercial planes come first?
Similar to how hybrid road vehicles (like the Toyota Prius) were popular before fully electric cars, we’re likely to see the same in aviation. In the short term, batteries will likely play a supporting role in reducing a larger aircraft’s CO2 footprint in an application called micro-hybridization, where batteries power non-propulsive functions, such as air conditioning, cabin pressurization, communications, flight controls, and landing gear.
In time, micro-hybridization could also be used for certain engine functions on the ground and even in the air. For example, batteries may replace gas-powered auxiliary units to provide power on the tarmac and assist in starting the main engine. Electric power could also be used to help the thermal engines during taxi and descent. This form of energy generation could reduce an aircraft’s environmental footprint by six percent.
While we may have to wait decades until we’re able to fly to faraway destinations on an all-electric commercial-sized jet, the race to produce more energy-efficient lithium batteries is heating up and, as a result, the technology is advancing at an alarming rate. This means we may not have to be as patient as we currently think.
While all-electric aircraft are still on the horizon, you can experience the best of modern aviation today with Air Charter Service. Our specialists can arrange your next private jet charter on a cutting-edge aircraft, while The Travel Division at Air Charter Service can take care of all your on-the-ground needs, including accommodation and excursions. To receive a no-obligation quote, please contact us today.