Short haul flights will be quieter with Siemens and Airbus electric aircraft

By Bruce Brown Published April 8, 2016

Electric vehicles are getting loads of attention with the fury of Tesla 3 pre-orders, but wait, look up in the sky! About the same time the new Teslas showing up, Siemens and Airbus may have electric aircraft in the air.

The high tech pair set 2020 as the target for demonstration planes. They hope to have passenger aircraft with less than 100 seats powered by hybrid/electric propulsion systems by 2030. Together, they are committing 200 employees to make it happen. Clearly Siemens and Airbus think electric aircraft are the future, at least for shorter range flghts.

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See also: EasyJet can save 50,000 tons of CO2 annually with a hydrogen-hybrid plane

The advantages of all-electric or hybrid/electric aircraft engines are significantly reduced emissions and fuel consumption. Europe has set a high bar with a target of 75% CO2 emissions reduction by 2050 (compared to levels recorded in 2000) and Airbus and Siemens don’t believe that target can be reached with petroleum-fueled engines.

For passengers and crew, as well as often noise-beleaguered people who live near airports, another benefit will be the reduction in sound. There would be wind noise, of course, but what if aircraft were as quiet as golf carts? Clearly that would be much more pleasant than the wall of sound emanated from most current planes.

The planned prototypes on Airbus and Siemen’s wish-list will range from a “few 100” kilowatts, according to Airbus, to 10+ megawatts. The higher power levels would be appropriate for short and medium haul trips.

This joint alternative fuel engine project is not Siemens and Airbus Group’s first rodeo together. In 2011, they collaborated on a demonstration with Austria’s Diamond Aircraft. Since then, Siemens has been at work on an electric engine supplying five times the power of the 2011 demo, with no weight gain. In 2015, an Airbus electric-powered small plane made a channel crossing in a flight demonstrating their progress with the E-Fan. They now use that two-seater design to train pilots.

Near silent, non-polluting aircraft certainly sound like a good idea, but let’s hope no one’s counting on chargers in the sky. We can imagine that one day, there will probably be power “tankers” as there are today refueling planes aloft for jet fuel aircraft. That is likely to be a very quiet megakilowatt transfer. One thing we can all look forward to is thoroughly thought out on-board charging for our portable electronics.

Contributing Editor

Bruce Brown Contributing Editor As a Contributing Editor to the Auto teams at Digital Trends and TheManual.com, Bruce…

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Jeep Compass EV breaks cover—but will it come to the U.S.?

jeep compass ev us newjeepcompassfirsteditionhawaii 4

Jeep just pulled the wraps off the all-new Compass EV, and while it’s an exciting leap into the electric future, there's a catch—it might not make it to the U.S. anytime soon.
This is a brand new electric version of the Jeep Compass, and being built on Stellantis' STLA platform—the same architecture underpinning models like the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008—it looks much slicker and packs a lot more inside than previous versions of the Compass.
Let’s start with what’s cool: the new Compass EV is packing up to 404 miles of range on a single charge, a 74 kWh battery, and fast-charging that gets you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Not bad for a compact SUV with Jeep's badge on the nose.
There are two versions: a front-wheel-drive model with 213 horsepower and a beefier all-wheel-drive version with 375 horsepower. That AWD setup isn’t just for looks—it can handle 20% inclines even without front traction, and comes with extra ground clearance and better off-road angles. In short, it’s still a Jeep.
The design's been refreshed too, and inside you’ll find the kind of tech and comfort you’d expect in a modern EV—sleek, smart, and ready for both city streets and dirt trails.
But here’s the thing: even though production starts soon in Italy, Jeep hasn’t said whether the Compass EV is coming to America. And the signs aren’t promising.
Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the company has “temporarily paused work on the next-generation Jeep Compass, including activities at” the Canadian plant that was originally meant to build the model. They added that Stellantis is “reassessing its product strategy in North America” to better match customer needs and demand for different powertrain options.
So while Europe and other markets are gearing up to get the Compass EV soon, American drivers might be left waiting—or miss out entirely.
That’s a shame, because on paper, this electric Jeep hits a lot of sweet spots. Let’s just hope it finds a way over here.

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Charlie Cox singles out his least favorite Daredevil: Born Again episode

Charlie Cox in Daredevil: Born Again.

Daredevil: Born Again season 1 was largely reconceived after the 2023 actor and writer strikes. Dario Scardapane -- a veteran of The Punisher series on Netflix -- was brought in to be the new showrunner and he made a lot of changes to the series that were well-received. However, there's one episode that Scardapane didn't really change at all, and it happens to be the least favorite episode of Daredevil: Born Again's leading man, Charlie Cox.

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Zoox recalls robotaxis after Las Vegas crash, citing software fix

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The recall, affecting 270 Zoox-built vehicles, was formally filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Zoox said the issue has already been addressed through a software update that was remotely deployed to its fleet.
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Establishing safety and reliability remain key factors in the deployment of the relatively new autonomous ride-hailing technology. Alphabet-owned Waymo continues to lead the sector in both safety and operational scale, with services active in multiple cities including Phoenix and San Francisco. But GM’s Cruise and Ford/VW-backed Argo AI were forced to abandon operations over the past few years.
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Zoox, which Amazon acquired in 2020, says it issued the recall voluntarily as part of its commitment to safety. “It’s essential that we remain transparent about our processes and the collective decisions we make,” the company said in a statement.