Boeing backed startup unveils hybrid electric flights
A hybrid-electric commuter aircraft could take flight by 2022.
Seattle area startup Zunum Aero is backed by Boeing and JetBlue’s venture capital unit and plans to build 12-seater planes which would be powered by two electric motors.
This would significantly reduce travel time and cost of short flights under 1,000 miles, it said.
Zunum expects to fill a gap for regional flights currently served only by expensive private jets or large commercial planes that struggle to generate enough demand and income to cover costs.
"Airlines are very keen to know how to fly a shorter distance and make money on it," said Matt Knapp, co-founder and chief aeronautic engineer at Zunum.
The company forecasts flight from Silicon Valley to Los Angeles would cost around $120 and would cut down on total travel time and airport fees by avoiding major big city airport hubs.
About 96% of all US air traffic travels through just 1% of its airports, which means thousands of small airports are virtually unused for scheduled flights.
The planes would still have a jet-fuel engine to supplement the battery use and extend the plane’s range to about 700 miles after battery power is exhausted.
Zunum also plans to build larger battery powered jets for up to 50 passengers by the end of the next decade.
Knapp expects advancements in technology over time would allow a plane to fly about 1,000 miles without jet fuel.
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