"Rechargeable" Plane Completes Inaugural Flight

A single seat, wood and fabric airplane completed its inaugural flight late in 2007 and is expected to be flying as a commercial version in 2 years.

The Electra flew 48 miles on the first run around the French Alps. The Electra is powered by high capacity Li+ (lithium ion) batteries. The batteries weigh approximately 103 lbs. As reported by businessgreen.com, "The electric motor and batteries are expected to cost between €10,000 and €15,000, but fuel costs would stand at around €1 per hour of flying, compared to €60 for petrol-driven aircraft."