In 1903, the Wright brothers heralded the aerial age with the world's first successful flight in a motor-powered airplane. 117 years later, a new aerial revolution is underway. This summer, the world's first electric-powered aircraft was certified in Switzerland.
The Velis Electro from Slovenian manufacturer Pipistrel costs CHF188,620 ($206,00) and comes with a 78 horse-power electric motor. The company AlpinAirPlane, run by Marc Corpataux from Fribourg, imported the plane into Switzerland.
As it can only remain airborne for 50 minutes, it’s used as a training plane at the moment, but it’s thought that the technology has potential for development and may lead to an increase in electric-powered short haul flights.
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Providers will initially be able to bid for a total of 20 permits that each cover five locations. The electricity must be produced in Switzerland and come from renewable sources. Each station must provide plug-in points for the three most common adaptors while customers must be able to pay without having to pre-register or by…
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