According to a TechCrunch story, the electric aircraft company Wright recently debuted a 2-megawatt engine that it hopes could revolutionize the aviation sector by powering huge electric passenger jets.
The biggest barrier to large electric airliners has been the excessively hefty battery packs that electric motors must use to generate enough lift. According to a press release from Wright, "Scaling electric and hybrid-electric propulsion systems from general aviation to larger aircraft applications requires much more powerful and lighter altitude-capable electric motor technology."
Wright's new 2-megawatt engine, which generates the equivalent of 2,700 horsepower and has an efficiency of about 10 kilowatts per kilogram, is a step in the right direction. According to the business, this is a "2x improvement over megawatt-scale motors being demonstrated in the industry." The motor is "substantially lighter than anything out there," according to Wright creator Jeff Engler, who also spoke with TechCrunch.
