When I did mention yesterday that solar aviation is going to soar higher, I didn’t realize that sun’s energy has stiff competition from man-made electrical energy too. So in its pursuit for alternative power source for aircrafts, Pipistrel has geared up for world’s first commercial electric powered light aircraft. Dubbed as Taurus Electro, it launches with a motor and uses air currents to stay aloft, weighs 700 pounds and recharges as fast as a cell phone. Charging claims are by none other then the company CEO Ivo Boscarol. So we have to trust their word as of yet. This electric bird (or shall I say flying bull because of the term Taurus) uses a lithium-polymer battery pack weighing 101 pounds for power, and with a wingspan of about 15 meters it achieves enough power to climb up to 6,000 feet up into the air, at a rate of 560 feet per minute. Noise free, emissions free, totally ecologic and yet delivering the same performance as its gasoline-powered counterpart! A video follows…..
The company is maintaining that this electric aircraft technology is costing them almost 1 Million EUR at the moment. However once the final product comes out, may be green flyers can grab it for $100,000. Based in Ajdovscina, Slovenia, Pipistrel is taking orders for thistwo-seater electric glider and it is believed that they have more than a dozen orders for the Taurus Electro. Hopefully the by the end of the year we can see ’em flying in the air.
