Apparently available since 2015
But apparently not certified. Like almost all Pipistrel aircraft…
I spoke to the former head of EASA Part 21 oversight about this some time ago. He told me it’s still a lot of work because an electric airplane is simply not possible to certify. It would still have to have dual ignition and 12 liter oil sump and required to continue to run when the batteries break, etc. The certification regime does not account for electrical propulsion yet. It will come though, they are working with the FAA on joint certification requirements.
Well Amendment 5 of CS23 took care of that. If you have a knowledgeable DO…
achimha wrote:
As those DC car fast charging stations are being built all over with government subsidies, it would be trivial for an airfield to encourage the project owners to built one on there premises, shared by aircraft and cars.
Given the “similar” potential with avgas that never transpired, I wonder if it would ever really happen. A friend stopped this summer to refuel at an airfield in Poland, I think it was Lesno EPLS, where there was a highway gas station next to the field: Avgas pumps were installed along with the various mogas/diesel pumps used for car traffic. So the infrastructure and delivery was used to service both air and car traffic. I’ve never heard of anything similar anywhere else, although I’m sure there must be lots of unused opportunities.
chflyer wrote:
I’ve never heard of anything similar anywhere else, although I’m sure there must be lots of unused opportunities.
Me neither but FWIW this is where I flew yesterday… Not a lot going on there (to put it mildly) but there was a highway gas station 50 meters behind me as I took this photo, and no fence! That could be useful if you were burning auto fuel. It’s the kind of place GA where useful in getting you there, but there is no other infrastructure at the airport, and there never will be.
chflyer wrote:
So the infrastructure and delivery was used to service both air and car traffic. I’ve never heard of anything similar anywhere else, although I’m sure there must be lots of unused opportunities.
Jaromer (LKJA) has exactly the same setup. The pumps serve both MOGAS and 100LL and equally planes and cars. And that’s also where you pay for your landing.
Peter wrote:
the Norwegian model cannot be exported elsewhere in Europe.
Says who? The electric grid on the continent is stronger and more robust than the Norwegian grid. Besides, you keep on about needing unimaginable amounts of electric power. This is plain wrong. Each private car needs on average enough to drive somewhere between 20 and 50 km per day. This is “nothing”. I charge mainly at home, more than 95% of the time, and I cannot even see the added usage on my electricity bill. If anything, the electric cars even out the load on the grid, because they charge during the night, when nothing else is going on. For hydro power this doesn’t mean much, but for thermal power this means increased efficiency. Instead of transporting gasoline everywhere, using it in super low efficiency cars, you transport the gasoline to one place, increasing the efficiency and utilisation at that plant, then transport the electricity super efficiently using the existing grid, charging each car during the night.
You also keep “forgetting” the main point. The economics of all this. There are huge opportunities in this for anyone seeing the possibilities. The increased efficiency is so huge, and the changes so vast, it is almost unimaginable. The opportunity is selling something much better, for a lower price than what currently is possible using old technology. There simply is no going back. All and every excuse you can manage to dig up won’t change that very fact.
Shorrick_Mk2 wrote:
Pipistrel Alpha Electro.
Here is the intro for flying electric Pipistrel so Peter as you are so enthusiastic about flying everything electric you can start learning right away:
Pipistrel Alpha Electro Part 1, Ground operation:
Pipistrel Alpha Electro Part 2, Take off:
Pipistrel Alpha Electro Part 3, Traffic Pattern:
Pipistrel Alpha Electro Part 4, stalls:
LeSving wrote:
Instead of transporting gasoline everywhere, using it in super low efficiency cars, you transport the gasoline to one place, increasing the efficiency and utilisation at that plant, then transport the electricity super efficiently using the existing grid, charging each car during the night.
All that may be true, but most rational consumers don’t care. Effectiveness, i.e. range and flexibility, beats efficiency in the real world market, when the energy cost involved isn’t that much either way. My average over the last three days was 292 km per day in local travel, spread over motorcycle (Friday), plane plus car (Saturday) and car (Sunday). We didn’t go anywhere of any substance but had a very nice long weekend, lots of scenery and fun, with no fuel planning required. That’s a big benefit to me and over a year we spend less than 5% of our take home pay on fuel, so the fuel cost is not really a downside. That’s why European governments can get away with 300 or 400% tax on gasoline, because people don’t actually care that much about the fuel cost but they value their independence and flexibility greatly, as they should. You only live once and spontaneous travel, perhaps unplanned in detail until you’re doing it, is a wonderful part of living.
Silvaire wrote:
You only live once and spontaneous travel, perhaps unplanned in detail until you’re doing it, is a wonderful part of living.
And I cannot do that in my electric car at 1/10 of the cost, using “my own” fuel because? But then again, I’m obviously smoking something 
The only problems I see with electric cars, exist exclusively in the heads of all those against them. There are tons of problems, huge, problems, unsolvable problems. What can I say. Relax, smoke something, and the problems will go away. I promise
