The Guardian is reporting;
The world's first fully electric commercial aircraft has taken its inaugural test flight, taking off from the Canadian city of Vancouver and flying for 15 minutes.
"This proves that commercial aviation in all-electric form can work," said Roei Ganzarski, chief executive of Australian engineering firm magniX.
The company designed the plane's motor and worked in partnership with Harbour Air, which ferries half a million passengers a year between Vancouver, Whistler ski resort and nearby islands and coastal communities.
The recycled 62-year-old de Havilland Beaver seaplane is designed for short hops of 160 km or less, which represents the majority of Harbour Air flights. They're looking to save millions on costly maintenance and downtime. Harbour Air hopes to convert most of their airplanes after certification.
(Score: 2) by looorg on Thursday December 12 2019, @01:28PM
It might not be to many people. Personally I think it could work. There is large body of water within walking distance from my home and there is one at the office to. They should be large enough to land a seaplane, they might just have to build a bit of harbor and such to make it easier to get on and off the plane (and I guess a recharging station for the aircraft). That said it might be a bit of a cost issue -- how much will the flight be compared to say a trainticket.