Norway Wants Its Puddle Jumpers Fully Electric by 2040

Norway Wants Its Puddle Jumpers Fully Electric by 2040


Concept art of an airplane with Zunum's electric motor.

Norway has an ambitious goal – to electrify all short-haul flights lasting 1.5 hours or less. The target date? 2040. No pressure …

Avinor, Norway’s state-owned airport operator, specified their target – “This would cover all domestic flights and those to neighbouring Scandinavian capitals,” said Avinor chief executive Dag Falk-Petersen. “When we will have reached our goal, air travel will no longer be a problem for the climate, it will be a solution.”

This may be a tad optimistic. Various companies have announced electric and hybrid-electric air taxis that should start operation from 2022-2026 (see more here, here, and here), but that’s a far cry from large-scale commercial air travel (even small-ish puddle-jumpers).

According to electricvehiclesresearch.com, Norway has the world’s highest amount of electric cars on the road, so the will is definitely there. And the Boeing-backed startup Zunum is working on an electric airplane motor, which is due for testing this year. But until I at least see a viable electric airframe, I’ll scale back my expectations.

Read more here: https://www.electricvehiclesresearch.com/articles/13694/norway-aims-for-all-short-haul-flights-to-be-100-electric-by-2040?stv1=1%3A328042%3A12444

 


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