June 27th, 2024

CATL electric plane to support 2000 km (1200 miles) flight

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL) plans to develop an electric commercial airplane with a 2,000-3,000 km range by 2027-2028. CATL collaborates with the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China for this project, focusing on advanced battery technology.

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CATL electric plane to support 2000 km (1200 miles) flight

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL), the world's largest electric vehicle maker, announced plans for an electric commercial airplane capable of flying 2,000 to 3,000 kilometers, expected to be ready by 2027 or 2028. This disclosure came as CATL collaborates with the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China to develop electric passenger airplanes. CATL's founder, Zeng Yuqun, revealed that the company has conducted test flights with a 4-ton civilian aircraft and is progressing towards an 8-ton electric aircraft with the same flight range. The company is focusing on using its advanced condensed battery with an energy density of up to 500 Wh/kg for these planes. Additionally, CATL is working on a new generation of sodium-ion batteries expected to enhance performance in terms of cost, lifespan, and low-temperature operation. Zeng shared these updates at the 15th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Dalian, China.

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By @noneeeed - 4 months
Can someone put the size of this plane into context? Their test plane was 4 tons, and this one with a 2000km range is 8 tons.

Would this be a small private jet?

By @api - 4 months
If this is actually possible (not vaporware) then it means we're on the verge of replacing short regional "hop" flights with electric planes, leaving liquid fuel only for long range air transport.

Assuming at least a decent percentage of the electricity is low/zero carbon that would dramatically reduce CO2 emissions in air travel.

Of course all aviation is only a few percent of global CO2 emissions, so it's not the sector of most concern.

By @papamena - 4 months
That's a very good range within Europe. For America it's too short, as the USA is about 5000 km coast to coast.
By @CalRobert - 4 months
For anyone wondering, 2000km is 2 Megameters.