British firm unveils design for the 'world's largest commercial hybrid electric

[cadence4u]

British firm unveils design for the 'world's largest commercial hybrid electric plane' that can seat 70 people and has a 'whisper-quiet' take-off

* Bristol-based firm reveals images of 'the largest commercial hybrid in the world'
* Hybrid electric regional craft will carry passengers in the day and cargo at night
* It is powered partly from an electric engine and other part conventional jet fuel
* Its development will support jobs in the region post-Brexit before a 2028 launch

A British firm has unveiled concept images for what it claims will be the 'largest commercial hybrid plane in the world'. 

The 70-seater 'hybrid electric regional aircraft' (HERA) has a 'whisper-quiet' operation to reduce noise pollution and airborne battery regeneration.   

It's a hybrid passenger plane – meaning it's powered partly by an environmentally-friendly electric engine and other part conventional jet fuel – and has a range of 800 nautical miles (920 regular miles).

But the aircraft range will be extended to 1,200 nautical miles (1,381 miles beyond 2030) as battery energy density improves.

The regional aircraft has been designed by the Electric Aviation Group (EAG), a Bristol-based engineering and development firm.   

The HERA aircraft, which will be in service by 2028, will create job opportunities in the aerospace, manufacturing and engineering industries post-Brexit, according to the designers. 

'Significant investments have been raised to develop sub-19 seat hybrid and all-electric aircraft which we believe is the wrong strategy,' said Kamran Iqbal, founder and CEO at EAG.

'These small planes cannot meet the demands of mass air transportation or the requirements of decarbonisation.

'Our design is for an aircraft that will initially offer 800 nautical miles range at launch in 2028, and which will be able to carry over 70 people.

'We will be a first mover in what is a $4.4 trillion market.'

EAG said it has already developed and filed a total of 25 patents for the aircraft, which is still in the developmental phase.

When complete by 2028, it will help to 'solve the challenges of decarbonisation and mass transportation' by eliminating the emissions of huge quantities of greenhouse gases, typical with jet fuel planes.

Thanks to its hybrid engine, the craft has a 70 per cent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions per passenger over a one-kilometre distance.

HERA cuts typical emissions of Earth-warming nitrogen oxides, which form when oxygen and nitrogen from the air interact during the high-temperature combustion events, by 90 per cent, while noise pollution is also reduced by 65 per cent.

EAG said recent climate-related events around the world 'should have left no doubt' that aviation stakeholders have to play their part to achieve lower emissions in the aviation sector.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Boris Johnson set the goal of the UK producing the world’s first zero-emission long-haul passenger plane with the slogan 'Jet Zero'.

However, as it stands, battery weight and range means that manufacturers currently view larger electric planes as feasible only for short-haul flights, according to UK environmental group AirportWatch.

Even then the focus is largely on hybrid-electric, with jet fuel needed for take-off.

All-electric aircraft need big batteries – but as batteries scale-up in size, the number of passengers on board needs to be scaled down.

Using a hybrid design, EAG says it has found a happy medium, although its aircraft can only manage regional flights.

The aircraft will have around 3.8 ton (3.5 tonne) of lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery at 250Wh/kg battery energy density on entry into service in 2028.

HERA is suitable for operating from regional airports, which gives increased proximity to warehouses, enabling the delivery of private sector cargo.

It features airborne battery regeneration to minimise turn-around time and will carry  passengers during the day and cargo at night.

The craft has the flexibility to transform into an all-electric or carbon-neutral plane as the battery density improves or alternative fuels become affordable.

The organisation expects to initially create more than 25,000 jobs and unlock $5 billion investments in the UK aerospace industry.   

'We expect this to be a great example of British design, engineering and build,' said Iqbal. 

'This represents the future of both passenger and cargo flights internationally and as an opportunity for investment, it could not be better timed.'

EAG draws on 'the rich heritage and strong aviation industry' in Bristol when it begins production of the new aircraft, including the hugely important Bristol Aeroplane Company, which eventually merged to become the British Aircraft Corporation.

The design is being unveiled to coincide with today's opening of FIA Connect, the virtual Farnborough Airshow.

What Are Hybrid Vehicles?

A hybrid vehicle has two power sources – a petrol engine and an electric motor – combining to propel the cars forward.

By switching seamlessly between pure electric power at low speeds and efficient petrol power when speeds increase, these vehicles not only save fuel and money, but they also reduce CO2 emissions.

Hybrids can be self-charging which means that every moment you are driving, your battery is charging, by using technology such as a regenerative braking system, which recovers energy that would normally be lost and stores it in the battery for later use.

 Self-charging hybrids do not need to be plugged in. 

A plug-in hybrid gets all the benefits of being a hybrid but also has a charge point so you can extend the range of your car by plugging in at home or at one of the nation’s electric charge points.

[ktheodos]

Interesting....sounds cool...and like a large project...I guess we'll see what happens over the next few years

[surveygrabber]

That is interesting. I am thinking about buying myself a hybrid vehicle these days. I know it saves you money on gas.

[UGetPaid]

That is interesting. I am thinking about buying myself a hybrid vehicle these days. I know it saves you money on gas.

I've been considering it also as an option for my next vehicle, but according to a friend of ours - here in Ohio if you own a hybrid vehicle, they charge you an additional $100 for your annual registration to make up for the money the state expects to lose from gasoline taxes - claiming that hybrid owners who aren't guzzling as much gasoline aren't contributing enough to the coffers meant for road repairs.
 

[LiamOliver]

Could you please share some photos of this plane. It's the end of the academic year and I'm doing coursework for the university. I am studying at the Faculty of Electonics and it would be cool if I added some information about this plane. I found some cool images of planes in stock images for commercial use, but I would like to use images of this particular plane that you are talking about in the post. I already have a lot of information about electric cars in my work, and I would like to break it down a bit with a rather unusual topic. I know that airplanes pollute the air very much with CO2 and an electric plane is cool.

[sdenimandlace1]

I never have decided if the keep enough charge to get me home and shop in town.

[sipingyu]

Wow, this is so cool. Thanks for sharing the article. This seems promising in terms of future for electric vehicles to be used in mass scale in public transportation. I am excited!