...gas-hungry airplanes

A couple of month ago we paid another tribute to almost forgotten GM EV1, the first modern mass-produced electric passenger car in the United States. Some people loved them for the looks, others for the ecological impact, yet others for pure economy. The same rules could be applied to the aircrafts. Take a look at the Taurus plane designed and built by Slovenian aircraft manufacturer Pipistrel. These machines of pure beauty are truly electric and have a minimal carbon footprint (not counting the carbon-based fuselage).

The Taurus uses the electric engine for take-off, landing and in-flight manoeuvres, but most of the time it simply retracts the engine and operates like a glider.

Is this the future of the individual means of transportation, or the sign of the new turn in aviation industry? Either way, it is a definite Existing Alternative to what we currently see and hear in the air.

Article on Taurus on Wired.com
Article on Taurus on PopSci.com