Are Electric or Hydrogen Planes Likely?

Written By Teacher: Elizabeth Ward

My name is Elizabeth Ward. I am a former Early Childhood, Elementary, and English as a Foreign Language educator. I have taught third grade Science and Social Studies as well as Kindergarten in both urban and rural Oklahoma public schools. I taught online EFL to students of all ages in China for four years. I also have experience in curriculum development and content design for teachers in the physical and digital classroom. As a former teacher I have a passion for supporting teachers and making their jobs easier. I currently live in the greater Houston area with my husband and four dogs. 

Teaching about alternatively powered airplanes is a great way to connect science, engineering, and climate change with real-world challenges. These technologies are exciting, but they’re also complex! Helping students understand how they work and why they matter is important. Topics like this can spark discussions about energy, innovation, and the role of transportation in reducing emissions. Elementary teachers can explore the ideas of transportation and climate change through this ELA Unit on Green Transportation. Secondary students may enjoy learning more about Greenwashing in Aviation through this fact-sheet. For more tips to teach about Green Transportation, educators should check out the Green Transportation Lesson Plans teacher guide. 

Written By: MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative

The MIT Climate Change Engagement Program, a part of MIT Climate HQ, provides the public with nonpartisan, easy-to-understand, and scientifically-grounded information on climate change and its solutions.

Airplanes burn a lot of dirty, carbon-emitting jet fuel to keep themselves airborne, making the aviation industry one of the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases. That’s why it is crucial to find cleaner ways to power our planes, says Steven Barrett, Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT, director of the MIT Laboratory for Aviation and the Environment, and leader of the MIT Electric Aircraft Initiative.

One option could be aircraft that use rechargeable electric batteries, just as electric vehicles are beginning to replace some gasoline-powered cars. Several startup companies have begun building and testing battery-powered planes, and scientists are investigating far-out kinds of chemistry to pack more power into a battery and help those planes fly farther. But Barrett says electric airplanes have severe limitations. “Batteries are just physically too heavy for a longer-range aircraft,” he says. Even with major advances in battery technologies, Barrett sees electric planes being limited to short- or medium-range journeys, not lengthy flights over oceans or between distant cities. (An experimental solar-powered plane has flown around the world, but solar panels cannot gather and convert enough sunlight to be a good candidate for airliners anytime soon.)