Chinese electric planes expected to enter service in 2028

Range of 3,000 kilometers

June 27, 2024 22:12 Robert Klatt

CATL, the largest producer of batteries for electric cars, also works on electric planes. An airliner equipped with batteries should arrive on the market as early as 2028.

Ningde (China). Contemporary Amperex technology Co. Limited (CATL) from China is the largest producer of batteries for electric cars and currently holds a market share of more than a third (37%). In 2023, the company presented the so-called condensed battery with an energy density of 500 Wh/kg. This is about twice as high as the lithium-ion batteries installed in most electric cars. CATL’s new batteries will not only be installed in electric cars, but also in aircraft after further optimizing safety and weight.

CATL has therefore established a separate aeronautics department and entered into cooperation with the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC). CATL announced that recent flight tests of a four-ton electric aircraft have been successfully completed.

Almost no technical details are known

The two companies have so far disclosed virtually no technical details about the aircraft. All that is known is that the drive consists exclusively of an electric motor and batteries. However, the altitude and speed reached as well as the dimensions of the plane are not known.

Market maturity by 2028

According to a report from ChinaDaily, CATL aims to launch a commercial passenger aircraft weighing eight tons by 2028 at the latest. This is about the size of the Learjet 70/75, which can now carry people. The range is expected to be 2,000 to 3,000 kilometers, which is significantly higher than that of competitive electric planes. For example, the Elysian E9X concept, also still in development, would “only” have a range of 1,000 kilometers.