EADS Global Website - The fully electric plane

The desire to achieve a radical step change in commercial aviation also lies at the heart of the new VoltAir concept, which could become reality around 20 years from now. “This is a platform for future technologies that we have integrated into a well-balanced design of an overall aircraft system,” says Jan van Toor, Head of GIN5 Innovative Concepts and Long Term Scenarios at EADS Corporate Technical Office.

The electric energy storage system will power highly efficient, superconducting electric motors that drive two shrouded propellers mounted at the rear of the fuselage. “With this concept, we would be using batteries that exceed energy densities of 1,000 Wh/kg,” Jan enthuses. “Boosted by the large demand in automotive applications like electric cars, we expect that these high-performance batteries will be available from 2030 onwards.”

Next generation energy storage system

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Jan van Toor, Head of GIN5 Innovative Concepts and Long Term Scenarios at EADS Corporate Technical Office, explains VoltAir's concept

In addition to the considerable promise of this propulsion technology, VoltAir also opens up new possibilities in terms of aircraft design, which could benefit both the passenger and the environment. Unlike fuels that are burned in a combustion engine, the electric energy storage system does not change its mass during flight. This makes it possible to locate the batteries away from the aircraft’s centre of gravity, balancing the electric motors’ weight at the rear of the fuselage. The absence of wing-mounted engines and landing gear pods results in an aerodynamically very clean wing, reducing the energy needed to fly.

“This solution integrates a fully electric propulsion system which does not emit any carbon dioxide or nitrous oxide during flight. On top of that, the engines have an extremely low noise level, which makes it quieter for those living close to airports and, of course, for those travelling,” underlines Jan.

Did you know…?

Conventional electric motors are known to be very efficient but generally do not offer the power densities (energy output per unit weight/kilowatt per kilogram) required for large-scale airborne applications. The discovery of high-temperature superconducting (HTS) materials provides the key solution to this problem.