Transport has a lot to answer for when it comes to harming the planet. While cars and trains are moving towards greener, electric power, emissions from air travel are expected to increase massively by 2050. If we want big green sky solutions, we need blue sky thinking. Fortunately, there's plenty of that happening right now, particularly the short-haul flights powered by batteries.
当涉及到对地球的危害时，运输业有很多问题要回答。尽管汽车和火车正在朝着更绿色、电能的方向发展，但预计到2050年，航空的排放量将大幅增加。如果我们想要大的“绿色天空”解决方案，我们需要“蓝天思维”。还好，现在已经改变了很多，特别是电池供电的短途飞行。
Harbour Air is the largest seaplane airline in North America, flying 30, 000 commercial flights in 40 seaplanes each year. Significantly, all Harbour Air routes last less than 30 minutes, making it perfectly fit for electric engines. “As an airline, we're currently in the process of turning all our planes into electric airplanes. says CEO Greg Mc Dougall. To make this happen, the airline has partnered up with MagniX to create the worlds first commercial flight with an electric engine.
海港航空公司是北美最大的水上飞机航空公司，每年有40架水上飞机，飞行30000次商业航班。尤其是，所有港口航线的航程都不到30分钟，非常适合电动发动机。“作为一家航空公司，我们目前正在将我们所有的飞机转为电动飞机。”首席执行官格雷格·麦克道格尔说。为了实现这一目标，航空公司与MagniX合作，创造了世界上第一架使用电动引擎的商业航班。
Making the skies electric isn't just good for the environment, it also makes sound financial sense: a small aircraft uses 8-12 for the same distance, and that's before you factor in the higher maintenance costs of a traditional engine. There's also the added bonus that electric planes are just much more pleasant to fly in. No loud engine noise, no smell of fuel, just environmentally friendly peace and quiet.
让天空电动化不仅有利于环境，而且很有经济意义：小型飞机100英里的飞行需要400美元的常规燃料，而电动飞机同样的距离仅需8-12美元，然后你还要考虑到传统发动机维护成本更高。此外，还有一个额外的好处，就是电动飞机在空中飞行更舒适。没有发动机噪音，没有燃油气味，只有环保的宁静。
While there has been real progress in the e-plane industry, the technical challenges that remain are keeping everyone's feet firmly on the ground. A battery, even a lithium one, only provides 250 watt-hours per kilogram; compare this to liquid fuel, which has a specific energy of 11, 890 watt-hours per kilogram. Carrying adequate batteries, however, would make the plane too heavy to get off the ground. In aircraft, where every bit of weight counts, this can't just be ignored.
虽然电动飞机行业已经取得了真正的进步，但仍然存在的技术挑战还是让每个人都只能站在地上。电池，即使是锂电池，每千克只能提供250瓦时；相比之下，液体燃料的比能量为每千克11890瓦时。携带足够的电池会使飞机太重而无法起飞。在飞机上，每一点重量都很重要，不能忽视。
The transition from gas to electric in the automobile industry has been made easier by hybrids-vehicles powered by both fuel and electricity. Many believe the same pattern could be followed in the air. Fuel consumption could be reduced as the electric component is switched on at key parts of the journey, especially on take-off and landing.
燃料和电力混合动力汽车使汽车工业从天然气向电力的过渡变得更加容易。许多人认为，在空中也可以遵循同样的模式。在航程的关键部分，尤其是在起飞和着陆时，当切换为电力部件时，可以减少燃油消耗。
It's certainly an exciting time for electric flying. With companies like Harbour Air taking the lead, battery-powered planes, especially on short-haul journeys, are set to become a reality in the next few years.
这当然是电动飞行激动人心的时刻。随着海港航空等公司的领先，电池动力飞机，特别是短途旅行，将在未来几年成为现实。
