Hype Alert: Electric aircraft vaporware is upon us
So far I’m mainly doing this blog for myself, to curate and save stories I find interesting about the coming electric convergence, so I can keep clear in my mind what’s going on, and possibly make some good investment decisions. Usually I wouldn’t put this kind of story in there, but it seems emblematic of the times. The hype is real, but when the hype is real, you know something real is going to happen. Just not necessarily everything that everybody says is going to happen.
Ampaire’s website shows some CGI of an aircraft with unusual empennage:
They also show a physical model of the aircraft, of indeterminate size and operability, but eventually it’s supposed to become a small, regional airliner that you’ll “feel good” about flying in because it’s quiet and it produces nearly zero emissions. And then if you look at this story – This LA company is developing all-electric, zero-emission airplane – you find out that what they have right now is an electric motor that they’re planning to retrofit onto an existing aircraft, possibly with as many as six passengers, possibly with a 100 mile range, possibly by 2020.
Well, we all have to start somewhere.
