Boeing announced that it is working on a concept plane, a hybrid-powered jetliner, depending on whether it’s cruising or taking off and climbing. The concept jetliner is called the SUGAR Volt and would use turbine engines and electric motors connected to the fans to more efficiently propel an electric airliner. Reportedly, on flights of up to 900 miles, the SUGAR Volt would cruise almost exclusively on battery power.
Boeing engineers have been working on several Subsonic Ultra Green Aircraft Research (SUGAR) concepts.
According to Boeing, an electric propulsion system would help slash the amount of fuel burned as well as noise around airports by about 70% compared with today’s airliner fleet. The company believes they can have such the hybrid plane up and running by about 2035.
On a smaller scale, a competition is under way to develop by next year a personal commuter aircraft that operates on electricity or fuel cells and can average at least 100 mph on a 200-mile flight while achieving greater than 200 passenger mpg. The Green Flight Challenge, sponsored by NASA and the CAFE Foundation, offers a $1.5 million first prize for the aircraft with the best performance.
