Electric planes are coming: Short-hop regional flights could be running on batteries in few years

Electric planes might seem futuristic, but they aren’t that far off, at least for short hops.

Two-seater Velis Electros are already quietly buzzing around Europe, electric sea planes are being tested in British Columbia, and larger planes are coming.

Air Canada announced on September 15 that it would buy 30 electric-hybrid regional aircraft from Sweden’s Heart Aerospace, which expects to have its 30-seat plane in service by 2028.

Analysts at the US National Renewable Energy Lab note that the first hybrid electric 50 to 70-seat commuter plane could be ready not long after that. In the 2030s, they say, electric aviation could really take off.