First test flight of largest all-electric aircraft used just $5 of electricity

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/08/first-test-flight-of-largest-all-electric-aircraft-used-just-5-of-electricity/

31 points · 8 comments · view on lemmy.world

8 Comments

schipelblorp@sh.itjust.works · 10 pts · 15d (4 replies)

The first flight of the largest battery-electric aircraft to take to the skies lasted nearly half an hour while costing just $5 of electricity.

Translation: We glided our electric plane for 30 minutes. I really doubt they took off and reached altitude on $5 worth of electricity. No way.

0x0@infosec.pub · 3 pts · 15d (3 replies)

1mw according to the article, closer to 500usd than 5, but not impossible

SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 15d (1 reply)

There is no mention of power used in the article. The power output was 1 mW, but that's motor output power, not energy used. $5 is 30kW. 30 minutes of 1kW/min., no way, that's a toaster.

The max range on electric is 125 miles. Why bother to take a plane when you can drive an EV there in 2 hrs.

naeap@sopuli.xyz · 4 pts · 15d

Maybe they charged it for free on some friends solar panels and the 5USD were for the necessary morning coffee?

fake@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 15d

Very occasionally wholesale pricing can be as low as $5/MWh. But normal wholesale price for 1MW is $50-100USD according to EIA historical data. Then you'd have all the distribution costs on top of that before it gets to the plane.

$5/MWh is a total misrepresentation.

jasoman@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 15d (2 replies)

Before or after the airport has to share power with an ai data center

schnurrito@discuss.tchncs.de · 7 pts · 15d (1 reply)

Not all threads are about AI, you know…

fake@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 15d

This plane is a similar flavour of bullshit