Research: electric aircraft better than train

Anyone who thinks that the train is the cleanest means of transportation in the Europe of the future is mistaken. New research shows that we would be better off investing in electric airplanes than in new railway projects for medium-haul distances. “I am increasingly certain that the high-speed train has no future,” says Carlo van de Weijer, TU/e expert in mobility.

CE Delft carried out the study on behalf of Elysian Aircraft. It specifically looked at Elysian's E9X, a groundbreaking electric aircraft expected in 2033. The plug-in aircraft offers a solution for flights of up to a thousand kilometers. It emits up to 70% less than aircraft that use competing fuel types such as hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). SAF is technically easy to implement but is currently 2 to 9 times more expensive than fossil kerosene. Hydrogen-powered aircraft are seen as a clean option but face challenges in scalability and storage.

No high-speed train?

With the predicted electricity mix of 2035, electric flight will already be twice as sustainable as driving an electric car. And compared to trains: the study shows that electric airplanes such as the E9X can be even more beneficial financially and ecologically than building new railroad lines.

Credits: CE Delft, from Climate Change Impact Analysis of Electric Aviation

Van de Weijer sees little future for the high-speed train. “The enormous costs for railroad lines are simply not worth it. And that's not even mentioning the enormous damage a train causes to the environment, especially during construction, but also during its lifespan. Think of noise and particulate matter.”

An entirely new system for mobility in Europe

Electrification in aviation could lead to an entirely new system for short and medium-haul mobility in Europe, the expert predicts. After all, electricity in Europe is becoming increasingly green, and electric airplanes can fly further and further.

What could such a system look like? Imagine an airplane for five, ten, or twenty people with one pilot on board, Van de Weijer describes. These airplanes could use smaller regional airports. The Netherlands has about twenty of these airports and there are more than three thousand in Europe. With minimal additional investment, you could connect all these points in Europe directly.

It doesn't sound so crazy: business trips to countries throughout Europe from Teuge airport. Or catching a plane from Breda airport to go on a skiing vacation. It will take several years before we get there and some of the technologies for electric aircraft have yet to prove themselves in practice, says Van de Weijer. “But if you are still hesitant to invest in any other form of medium-haul transportation, you have to be completely certain that electric flight will not work.”

Flying within the Netherlands

The findings of the study are further underlined by the recent cutbacks the cabinet is planning to implement in public transportation. The €335 million they want to save will harm both the accessibility of the Netherlands and the affordability of transportation. Nine public transportation companies have already sounded the alarm.

The Netherlands is increasingly starting projects involving electric flights within the country's borders as an alternative to other forms of transportation such as the train. The business community is also increasingly focusing on flying within the Netherlands. NRG2Fly, for example, wants to offer charging facilities at airports throughout the country.

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