TRANSPORTATION
which has substantial rail networks , but there is a belief amongst many of the players that in markets where the rail and road infrastructure do not exist , this approach could be a more efficient way of putting in place mass transport .”
With electric aircraft , the only requirement would be the building of relatively small aerodromes at either end of the journey corridor . “ Electric vehicles , by the nature of having very few moving parts , will be cheaper to maintain ,” argues Cousins .
Energy Digital also heard from Cyient ’ s Anand Parameswaran , Senior VP Aerospace & Defence , who noted “ increasing pressure from the European Union to cut aviation pollution ” as a factor in the likely acceleration of the adoption of new tech . “ An effective hybrid solution would cut noise pollution as well as CO2 , while airlines could slash one of their biggest and most unpredictable running costs in jet fuel , thus areas of focus for 2018 hybrid development are reducing the weight of batteries and the cooling equipment they require .”
The Airbus collaboration boasts the involvement of Siemens , one of the market leaders in terms of the design
e-FanX 3D graphic
and manufacture of large electric motors and power transmission systems . In 2016 , it flew the largest lightweight electric motor to date – a 260kw motor on an aerobatic Extra 330LE plane . “ We ’ re drawing on their expertise of lightweight high efficiency electric motors ,” maintains Cousin . “ We ’ re also leveraging the expertise of Rolls-Royce in the provision of highly efficient gas turbines for aviation , seafaring vessels and power plants where they operate in a mode of fixed power
50 March 2018