Musk Says Electric Airplane Possible In 5 Years: Will Tesla Offer One?

The battery tech will be there, but will Tesla fly with a plan to move forward?

Those that follow the segment have probably known for some time that electric airplanes are already possible, but not yet very practical, since range is an issue. Being that many folks are just beginning to take an interest in battery-powered vehicles, there are many questions out there. We often reiterate that education is key when it comes to getting people to support EV adoption and take the plunge.

Interestingly, instead of going to Google or asking Siri or Alexa, some people just take to Twitter to engage in personal conversations with Tesla CEO Elon Musk. This is because he’s become a household name and people know that he’s highly intelligent and well-informed. The crazy part here, however, is that the busy CEO actually takes the time to answer people’s questions.

Musk recently replied to a Tweet inquiring about the viability of electric airplanes. He explained that it will be a while before battery energy density improves enough to offer range that’s considered acceptable.

He goes on to explain that while Jet A (kerosene) is more energy dense than lithium-ion batteries, electric motors are lighter and more efficient. Musk shares some math that he says he did years ago. By his estimation, we could see batteries with enough energy density to make electric planes more realistic in about five years.

However, the more important question here is, “Will Tesla build and sell one?”

Let us know what you think in the comment section below.

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