World’s first commercial electric airplane takes off
The world's first commercial electric airplane took off in Vancouver, Canada, yesterday, signifying a key step forward in the development of electric aviation.
The aircraft, produced by Harbour Air, is a light seaplane that will be the prototype for an entire fleet of electric airplanes that will ferry passengers around North America's Pacific northwest.
The plane took off at 08.30 local time outside Vancouver and flew for around seven minutes before landing. The maximum flight time of the airplane is around 30 minutes. Harbour Air teamed up with engineering firm MagniX to create the plane.
"In 2018, 75pc of worldwide airline flights were 1,000 miles or less in range," MagniX chief executive Roei Ganzarksi said, noting that the company envisages great potential for electric aviation to transform the "heavily trafficked ‘middle-mile' range".
Electric-powered flight is in its infancy compared with electric cars. E-planes are unable to match fossil fuel aircraft for range or speed and will only be able to make short-haul journeys with minimal loads in the short term. The fastest electric aircraft ever flown, the Long-EZ in 2012, had a maximum speed of 200mph and carried a single passenger, whereas the average for a Boeing 787 is 585mph and it can carry over 200.
Even so, large aerospace companies are investing in new technology aimed at electric flight. Aurora Flight Sciences, a subsidiary of Boeing, earlier this year successfully tested a fully autonomous, fully electric aircraft aimed at urban flight.
Growth in electric mobility is driving demand for battery metals such as lithium and cobalt. Demand for lithium is set to grow to 136,000t by 2030, up from 51,000t in 2017. Cobalt demand is also set to grow to 218,000t in 2030, up from just under 120,000t in 2018.
Most of the growth in demand for these metals will come from a rise in electric vehicle production. The potential for growth in other forms of electric mobility could add a new stream of demand for battery metals in the long term.
By Thomas Kavanagh
source: Argus Media
Top News
Six last month
MinRes halts Bald Hill mine amid lithium price rout
Iran Alloy Steel Company intends to purchase 150 tons of Low-Carbon Ferro Manganese through public tender
Gold price faces worst week since 2021 as Fed signals no rate-cut rush
Iran Alloy Steel Company intends to purchase 12 tons of ferrotungsten through public tender
Swapping aluminum for copper will maintain China’s resources, group says
Gold loses some luster after Trump’s decisive win
Hedge funds slash bullish wagers on gold over Trump election win
Iron ore price flirts with key $100/t level on firm demand, China stimulus hopes
Families gather at South African mine shaft where hundreds are feared stuck underground
BHP to spend up to $14 billion on Chilean copper expansion
Chile’s rare salt flat fish faces threat from lithium mining project
British Columbia creates new mining ministry to tackle critical minerals amid doubts over capacity
China’s germanium, gallium ban could cost the US $3.4 billion
South Africa police standoff with illegal gold miners escalates
Iran Alloy Steel Company intends to purchase 150 tons of Low-Carbon Ferro Manganese through public tender
Iran Alloy Steel Company intends to purchase 12 tons of ferrotungsten through public tender
Iron ore price flirts with key $100/t level on firm demand, China stimulus hopes
Newmont sells Ontario gold mine to Orla for $850 million
BHP warns Australian mining not ready for low-cost competitors
Iran Alloy Steel Company intends to purchase 12 tons of ferrotungsten through public tender
Iran Alloy Steel Company intends to purchase 150 tons of Low-Carbon Ferro Manganese through public tender
Chile’s rare salt flat fish faces threat from lithium mining project
British Columbia creates new mining ministry to tackle critical minerals amid doubts over capacity
Newmont sells Ontario gold mine to Orla for $850 million
BHP warns Australian mining not ready for low-cost competitors
Resolute Mining says it will pay Mali $160 million in tax dispute
Trump chooses oil fracking boss as energy secretary
Gold loses some luster after Trump’s decisive win
