Commercial jet maker Airbus announced Tuesday morning that it has formed a partnership with Siemens and Rolls-Royce to develop a hybrid-electric demonstrator aircraft to fly by 2020. The demonstrator will be a British Aerospace BAe-146 short-range regional jet that will have one of its four traditional turbofan engines replaced with a 2-megawatt (MW) electric motor.
Last April Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) invested in a Seattle-based start-up, Zunum Aero, which is also working on a hybrid-electric airplane. JetBlue Airways Corp. (NASDAQ: JBLU) invested in Zunum at the same time.
Siemens will build the 2MW electric motors and their power electronic control unit along with the power inverter, a DC/DC converter and the power distribution system. Rolls-Royce is tasked with the turbo-shaft engine, 2MW generator and power electronics. Airbus will integrate the pieces and develop the control architecture of the hybrid-electric propulsion system and batteries and the integration with flight controls.
The aircraft is dubbed the E-Fan X, and Airbus and its partners see hybrid-electric propulsion as “a compelling technology for the future of aviation.” The European Union has adopted technical environmental goals for the aviation industry to meet by 2050. These include a 75% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, a 90% reduction in nitrous oxide emissions and a 65% decrease in noise. These targets cannot be met using existing technology.
The testbed aircraft for the E-Fan X is a four-engine, 128-passenger jet regional jet with a top cruising speed of around 475 miles per hour and a range of about 1,000 miles. Here’s the illustration Airbus released this morning.
In early October, Zunum Aero announced that its first hybrid-electric product would be a 12-passenger commuter plane designed to reach small regional airports. The plane’s range is more than 700 miles and its top cruising speed is 340 mph. The firm wants to hit a target operating cost of $250 an hour, a level the company’s co-founder and chief technology officer called “unbeatable.” Zunum is currently looking a first delivery of the aircraft in 2022. Here’s the company’s illustration of the aircraft.
Paul Stein, chief technology officer at Rolls-Royce, thinks you will be able to buy a ticket on a hybrid-electric regional plane carrying around 100 passengers in 2030. That’s light speed in the aerospace industry, especially for an aircraft with an all new propulsion system.
24/7 Wall St.It’s Your Money, Your Future—Own It (sponsor)
Retirement can be daunting, but it doesn’t need to be.
Imagine having an expert in your corner to help you with your financial goals. Someone to help you determine if you’re ahead, behind, or right on track. With SmartAsset, that’s not just a dream—it’s reality. This free tool connects you with pre-screened financial advisors who work in your best interests. It’s quick, it’s easy, so take the leap today and start planning smarter!
Don’t waste another minute; get started right here and help your retirement dreams become a retirement reality.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
Latest from 24/7
Our expert who first called NVIDIA in 2009 is predicting 2025 will see a historic AI breakthrough.
You can follow him investing $500,000 of his own money on our top AI stocks for free.