Recently unveiled at the Aero Expo in Freidrichshafen, Germany, Pipistel’s new Panthera four-seater plane can be ordered with a standard, albeit highly efficient, gas engine. But it’s also available in an all-electric model for those preferring an aircraft that produces less air and noise pollution.
Understandably, the Electro edition, which will rely solely on state-of-the-art electric batteries, has a considerably shorter range than the gas model. About 400km compared to 1850km on fossil fuels. But charging it at the airport should be considerably cheaper than filling a fuel tank. And since most people will probably be leery about flying in an electric plane given the stories of electric cars randomly stopping, the Panthera comes equipped with a high-speed full airframe parachute system which will deliver it safely back to Earth if there’s a problem.
Besides a slick streamlined design, the inside of the Panthera includes generously sized touchscreen aviation instruments, front seats that look like they were lifted from a luxury sports car, and extra wide back seats for added passenger comfort. And since you’ll be landing quite often given its limited range, there’s also plenty of storage space for luggage since you’ll probably be spending a lot of time in hotels waiting for it recharge. [Pipistrel via Born Rich]