Why We Still Don't Have Electric Planes — Explained Step by Step

Added: 2026-05-17

[00:00:00]Why don't we still have electric planes?

[00:00:01]Here are five reasons. First, jet fuel holds 50 times more energy per kilogram than the best lithium battery available today, and that gap has not meaningfully closed in 20 years of development. Two, jet fuel burns off mid-flight, so the aircraft gets lighter, but batteries carry the same dead weight from takeoff all the way to landing. Third, the most advanced electric aircraft flying today has a maximum range of around 100 miles, and a standard commercial route is 10 to 20 times that distance. Finally, charging a battery to the equivalent of a full commercial fuel load takes hours, but aviation runs on turnarounds measured in minutes. Drop a comment if you prefer electric over fuel.