ONE OF the most active areas in the aerospace industry right now is the development of electric aircraft.

There are no fewer than 170 diff erent electric aircraft development projects around the world, according to a May 2019 estimate by consultancy Roland Berger, which it says is an increase of 50% since April 2018. The consultancy says there could be around 200 such projects by the end of this year.
Electric aircraft projects span various areas in the commercial aviation market. There are electrically powered unmanned systems designed for urban air mobility, a catch-all term for the growing ecosystem that includes air taxis and cargo delivery drones to transport passengers, goods and supplies around urban areas.