Airbus hopes to launch hybrid passenger planes by 2030
Airbus hopes to be selling passenger planes powered by hybrid engines by 2030.
The European aircraft manufacturer is teaming up with German industrial conglomerate Siemens to develop hybrid planes that can carry up to 100 passengers. The aircraft would use a combination of electric power and conventional fuel.
The hybrid Airbus planes would consumer 25% less fuel and would be almost silent during take off and landing, when running on electric power, according to Siemens. At cruising altitudes, the planes would be powered by jet fuel.
The planes are expected to have a range of about 620 miles, enough to get you from New York City to Detroit, Michigan.
The ultimate goal for Airbus is to develop "zero-emissions aviation," CEO Tom Enders said in a statement.
/Source: Hartford Business/
April 7, 2016