A Lafayette College student plans to fly the first electric plane at a sporting event on November 19, 2022. The plane is in Hartford, Connecticut to Easton, Pennsylvania. However, the EV plane must be recharged thrice, and the Ford F-150 Lightning owners will help, according to Electrek.
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DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 14: The Ford F150 Lightning is shown at the 2022 North American International Auto Show on September 14, 2022 in Detroit, Michigan.The North American International Auto Show opens to the public on September 17.
The electric plane is a Pipistrel Alpha Electro and is equipped with a 21 kWh battery pack. Based on Federal Aviation Regulations, it should land with a 30-minute reserve that allows for approximately an hour of usable flight time.
The Pipistrel Alpha Electro is a two-seater electric plane with a 90 kilowatt-hour battery. It can climb at 1,000 feet per minute in a range of 100 miles at a speed of 118 miles per hour.
While the electric plane is still in its initial stage, it would need a lot of work to make it successful. A project like this can help people understand the potential and limits of electric planes.
The biggest challenge of the project is to stay close to the intended route. This would help the plane to charge in the right places.
Due to the lack of infrastructure at the airports the plane would be landing, the possibility of using Ford F-150 Lightning becomes possible. The EV truck is equipped with a 9.6 kW power that can power many things. However, this will be a first for the Ford F-150 Lighting to power an electric plane.
The student usually uses his Nissan Leaf to power the battery to 80 percent but he will use the Ford Lightning to charge it fully as a safety precaution. With the help of Ford, the plane would only need to recharge once with a total trip mileage around 250 miles. However, the team set up two electric trucks and they are successful.
Also Read: Ford F-150 Lightning Got Power and Payload Boost-Capacity is Bigger than Expected
A Team of EV Owners
Due to the reliability and success of charging the plane via the Ford F-150 Lighting, the student is now putting up a team with Lightning trucks to help him fly the first electric plane flyover.
The EV owners would be prepared to keep charging the plane. Each truck is capable of charging the plane three times and there are three recharging points.
The Future of Electric Planes
The future of electric planes is looking bright. With the success of this project, more people would be more inspired to do more. In addition, there is really no limit to what an EV can do.
By looking at the maturation of electric trucks and cars, it is possible to have more electric airplanes in the future. While the current technology is still in its infancy, it is possible to have it in the mainstream market in the near future.
With the increasing cost of fuel and the need to use less fuel, it is possible that there would be a lot of people who would want electric planes.
Related Article: 'Electric Vehicle For Police:' Ford's F-150 Lightning Pro SSV Can Run From 0 -60 Mph In Less Than 4 Seconds!
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Written by April Fowell
