Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk is renowned for his expertise when it comes to the electric car industry.
The master behind the company’s revolutionary SpaceX is now pondering on something else – an electric jet. Even before the electric car market stabilizes as the company would wish, the king of this industry now wants you to have an electric jet in the skies. Revelations about his bigger plans came at the Hyperloop Pod Competition just this week. He now wants to take the electrification of transport means from the ground to the skies.
“I think I have something very close,” Musk said in reference to vertical take-off and landing of electric planes. “I’m tempted to do something [about it].”
While electric cars have been on the agenda of Musk for quite some time now, he has in the past indicated that he might at some point take the direction of electric planes. The most recent one came just this past fall. As mentioned earlier, the electric car market has yet to pick, something that renders the electric jet a mere idea. But the frequency with which Musk has been bringing up the topic is somehow suggesting otherwise.
Electric planes have been here since the 1970s
While most readers will be wondering what has gone into the mind of the Tesla boss, it is important that you know he is not the first one to think of electric planes. In fact, electric passenger planes have existed since the 1970s; however, due to the issue of battery technology, they have never gained significant attention in the industry. Of course, using jet fuel is a lot cheaper than depending on battery technology for air travel.
Some might even be thinking Musk will be coming up with something close to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. This plane makes use of hybrid technology that combines the use of fuel and batteries. But the Tesla boss has something else in mind – a complete electric jet.
One thing that has been letting down the electric plane industry is the issue of design, but it seems he has found a way out. In addition, Tesla is prepping a battery-making Gigafactory and there is no doubt that Musk will incorporate this establishment in his plans. The affordable and energy-laden lithium-ion battery units will be available in full swing once this factory goes into full production and maybe one day we could see a plane powered by one of these batteries.