World's first all-electric commercial plane takes flight

B.C.-based seaplane airline Harbour Air has done a successful test flight of a retrofitted, all-electric commercial seaplane - the first for the industry and the world. Robin Gill explains what the company is hoping for, and the precedent it could set for the future of air travel.

#ElectricAirplane #GlobalNews #AllElectricCommercialSeaplane

[kentaylor]

The “Electric Beavers”, great name for a rock band.

[thestudentofficial]

The noise is purely the propeller's sound

[drpork]

Who knew a beaver 53 years later would be retrofitted with a high power electric motor

[JayJayAviation]

The O emissions part actually depends on where the electricity comes from... Vancouver mostly has hydro so this flight was truly 0 emission. Calgary isn’t the same right now :/

[biggiechilli]

I’m gonna be honest, she was talking about how the airplane was noisy and smelly, the chick doesn’t know anything. Hearing the sound of the engine and smelling the oils and the gases is one of the most amazing things you could expirence. Don’t get me wrong electronic is better but the reporter doesn’t get it.

[imreplica]

Future new flash: man trying to plug in a float plane to recharge the batteries accidentally slips and falls into the water still holding on to the plug. What happened next was shocking!

[garyvallone]

it's just a matter of time. The technology will improve

[SCCanada]

Definitely amazing and inspiring. Glad to see a Canadian company taking this into consideration

[highplainsdrifter]

We can build the motors but don't have the battery technology!

[rogergommert]

So glad to see this happening in Canada.

[MarcoNierop]

So cool! The CEO of the company did the test flight himself!

[dutchflats]

The problem is energy density or lack of it contained in the batteries. Avgas has about 50 times the specific energy of the best battery currently, as such batteries can't compete on speed or range with liquid fuels in the near future. But they'd be good for training flights, sight seeing, or very short range flights with small loads. Good luck to them!

[Solisium-Channel]

We got electric cars and electric planes... how about flying electric cars?

[dufsgarage]

Don’t forget that the electricity fueling those planes comes from Coal. 😂

[danielwhyatt]

It is so wonderful to see this plane taking its first flights. Retrofitting was always going to be how it started. I really look forward though to seeing the Alice take flight for the first time. Hope we won’t have to wait until 2022 to actually see the first test flights.

[vociferon-heraldofthewinte]

Why is everyone calling this a commercial aircraft? It is experimental and cannot carry paying passengers. It is one of many small electric airplanes in development and testing but may be the first in Canada.

[nikobelic]

Breaking News

Electricity prices rise to meet fuel prices as everyone starts using it.

Everyone: *surprised pikatchu face*

[nybotor]

Looks awesome, and sounds like a turboprop.

[francikaa]

'Fuel is way more expensive than electricity.' That's a big advantage, especially when you just go 10 miles. Would like to see a London to Sydney flight with 300 people on board in an electric plane.

[---bsdp]

Has anyone ever put much thought on why large or bulk battery's can't be shipped by plane