Live data from Hacker News

Airbus and Boeing are exploring the viability of electric planes

phys.org

11–20 of 149 posts

Re: Airbus and Boeing are exploring the viability of electric planes

#11

Or we just stop flying arround the world for two-day trips.

Who exactly are "we" and how should they be stopped? Flying around the world for two-day trips isn't something that the great majority of the human population will ever do.

Given the right technology, maybe we will!

Re: Airbus and Boeing are exploring the viability of electric planes

#12
post #3

Or we just stop flying arround the world for two-day trips.

I think we should now be at a point where we realize that people won't give up these benefits to their lives "for the greater good". Convincing people to go green as a business model would be a huge failure - nobody would pay to get convinced to stop doing something convenient.

That is what I always say! Teslas, for example, are not becoming so popular because their owners are all environmentalists. They got so popular because they are extremely fun to drive and save on fuel a lot while not restricting their owner in range. I for example, recently reserved a Model 3, but I would not stop flying. But I would choose the airline that first provides me with a calmer and less smelly airplane any time. Ä

Re: Airbus and Boeing are exploring the viability of electric planes

#13

The stat that really woke me up to how popular travel was when an aviation magazine once posted that at any second of any day, there are at least one million people flying in an airplane somewhere. That's an entire good sized city full of people who are not in contact with the ground at any point in time you care to pick. And that article was quite a few years old, I wouldn't be surprised if that number has increased…

It's said that 1000+ Boeing 737 alone are airborne $NOW.

Re: Airbus and Boeing are exploring the viability of electric planes

#14
post #3

Or we just stop flying arround the world for two-day trips.

I think we should now be at a point where we realize that people won't give up these benefits to their lives "for the greater good". Convincing people to go green as a business model would be a huge failure - nobody would pay to get convinced to stop doing something convenient.

That's what pigouvian taxes and other steep carbon taxes are for

Re: Airbus and Boeing are exploring the viability of electric planes

#16
post #4

Or we just stop flying arround the world for two-day trips.

Or add a large tax to flying that pays for the development of green solutions.

This way only the super rich will be able to fly.

Re: Airbus and Boeing are exploring the viability of electric planes

#18
post #13

The stat that really woke me up to how popular travel was when an aviation magazine once posted that at any second of any day, there are at least one million people flying in an airplane somewhere. That's an entire good sized city full of people who are not in contact with the ground at any point in time you care to pick. And that article was quite a few years old, I wouldn't be surprised if that number has increased…

It's said that 1000+ Boeing 737 alone are airborne $NOW.

That’s likely true. They produced the 10,000th 737 in March, so if each plane were airborne eight hours a day (not unrealistic for commercial planes), two thirds of all 737s produced could be out of service to get at that 1000 ⇒ I would guess that actual number is closer to 2000, possibly even over iT.

Re: Airbus and Boeing are exploring the viability of electric planes

#20

Or we just stop flying arround the world for two-day trips.

I would love to not travel to go meet a client on the other side of the world. Unfortunately that’s often how business still needs to be done to win over the decision makers.
Post reply on HN