https://www.flyingmag.com/all-electric-sun-flyer-2-takes-flight?enews041218
Apparently electric planes are starting to be a thing! In this case all the plane has to do is fly around a bit for practice and go back to the original airport, but it’s a good first step!
Fuel costs are a huge component of the cost of flying, so there is a lot of reason to want to go electric.
Unfortunately due to the large range requirements, I expect planes, especially the hardest to replace use, long distance intercontinental travel, to be one of the last transportation sectors to electrify. Battery energy density will need to be much higher (400 watt-hours/kilogram is one number sometimes mentioned, nearly double the specific energy of current electric car batteries), even for short range flights.
There are some folks working on the problem though. One of the contenders I personally think is promising is Zunum Aero, who wants to make hybrid electric (jet fuel+batteries) regional flights.
Another fun company that I’m personally less optimistic about is Lillium, who are basically making an electric air taxi. Don’t know if anything will come of it,and certainly isn’t electrifying long distance transport. Looks pretty cool though, and more like something Mr. Musk and Mr. Stark would put together too.
Further reading:
NoloHax 