CATL - 3000 kilometer range: First electric aircraft planned for medium-haul routes
Chinese battery giant CATL reported recently at the "15th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting of the New Champions" about successful tests in the field of electric aviation. According to "China Daily" (via "CNEVPost"), this was the first time that CATL founder Robin Zeng spoke about the expected range of planned electric aircraft.
The company has reportedly completed successful tests with a four-tonne aircraft and plans to build a larger eight-tonne passenger airliner by 2028. The future model is expected to have a range of 2000 to 3000 kilometers.
No electric Jumbojets, but a first step
The company plans to use a new condensator battery technology with an energy density of 500 Watt-hours per kilogram in the aircraft. This corresponds to approximately the energy density of solid-state batteries. For comparison, modern Tesla models with BYD's Blade Battery achieve around 150 Wh/kg.
The aircraft battery was presented in the spring of 2023. CATL planned to use it in passenger planes at that time. The leading scientist Wu Kai stated at the presentation that special safety measures would have to be taken for its use in aviation, which would prolong the development process. For research on the technology, the company entered into a partnership with the state-owned Chinese aircraft manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd. (COMAC).
Given the projected weight of the announced aircraft, it becomes clear that electric jumbo jets with electric propulsion are a thing of the future. The empty weight of typical middle-range planes from Boeing and Airbus is around 40 tons. An eight-tonne aircraft is therefore rather a larger private jet, certainly not a mass-market holiday plane.
Almost no aircraft competition
If CATL manages to build a purely electric aircraft with this range in the relatively short term, it would be a major step for zero-emission aviation. Comparable projects from other manufacturers currently exist only in studies, not in practice. An Airbus concept based on fuel cells is currently being presented with a planned range of 1000 nautical miles, which is approximately 1850 kilometers. Purely electric would be that but much more environmentally friendly.
The additional weight of electric planes with large batteries will certainly pose challenges for engineers, for example in terms of landing and braking of the aircraft. Safety should also be a very important issue, as a fire in such a large battery would be a nightmare for rescue services according to current standards.
It can be assumed that the use in civil aviation is still in the distant future, as the safety regulations are extremely strict and CATL has not yet completed the development.
- Following the presentation of their advanced battery technology at the "World Economic Forum Annual Meeting of the New Champions," China Daily reported that CATL plans to utilize it in a passenger airplane, aiming to compete in the middle distance market.
- In an attempt to enter the electric aviation market, CATL, in collaboration with the Chinese aircraft manufacturer COMAC, is working on an eight-tonne passenger airplane, which could potentially replace conventional Airbus or Boeing mid-range aircraft in the future.
- The World Economic Forum (WEF) was the stage for CATL's announcement of their ambitious plans to develop an electric passenger airplane, with a range between 2000 to 3000 kilometers, setting an example for potential electric airplane manufacturers worldwide.
