Skip to main content

Zunum Aero’s electric aircraft aim to fly you faster, cheaper, and cleaner

ow does 40 percent shorter door-to-door air travel time at 80 percent cheaper fares sound to you? What if you could throw in 80 percent lower emissions? The promises of economy, efficiency, and environmental responsibility are the three pillars of Zunum Aero‘s business model, Venture Beat reports.

Kirkland, Washington-based Zunum Aero plans to use 10-to-50 seat aircraft for regional flights for trips up to 700 miles. The company intends to begin flights early in the next decade.

Recommended Videos

By flying in and out of the vastly underused 97 percent of the 13,500 U.S. airports, Zunum passenger waiting times will be minimized and the company’s operating costs will be much lower than conventional planes at large airports. Those two factors alone could result in big wins for Zunum travelers. Boarding a Zunum plane relatively close to home should be about as easy and quick as boarding a bus at a bus station. When the company saves on operating expense, it can charge lower fares.

The cool tech part of Zunum Aero’s story is the aircraft itself. The company does not plan to use existing equipment. Instead, Zunum is developing hybrid electric planes. Zunum has been helping establish electric aircraft certification standards with the Federal Aviation Authority since 2014. This is also a good time to mention that Boeing is one of Zunum Aero’s investors, along with JetBlue Technology ventures, a subsidiary of JetBlue Airways.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

“Boeing is investing in Zunum because we feel its technology development is leading this emerging and exciting hybrid-electric market space,” Boeing VP of strategy Steve Nordlund said. “This technology and customer approach has the potential to transform the market for small, short-haul aircraft that can use smaller regional airports.”

Zunum co-founder and CEO Ashish Kumar explained in a company statement that the large aircraft used by major airlines have opened the market service opportunity his company intends to fill.

“The shift of the industry to large aircraft and long ranges driven by gas turbines has concentrated almost all air traffic to just two percent of our airports, creating a massive transport gap over regional distances where there is no high-speed alternative,” Kumar said. “As a result, door-to-door times for most journeys are no better than they were 50 years ago. Hybrid propulsion is an industry-changing solution, enabling mid-sized aircraft on regional routes to have better cost efficiencies than airliners.”

In addition to lower emissions and less noise in flight and during takeoffs and landings, electric-hybrid aircraft won’t have long waits for fuel trucks to arrive and laboriously pump thousands of gallons of jet fuel. A fast battery recharge or swap, reset the GPS flight path, and you’re ready to go again. Zunum says its hybrids will “sip fuel only when they have to.” As battery technologies progress, the company looks forward to the day when battery power alone will be sufficient.

Bruce Brown
Bruce Brown Contributing Editor   As a Contributing Editor to the Auto teams at Digital Trends and TheManual.com, Bruce…
The Ioniq 5 is once again eligible for the $7,500 tax credit
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5

After a brief and confusing absence, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is once again eligible for the full $7,500 federal tax credit — and this time, it's sticking around (at least for now). So, what happened? Let’s unpack the ride.

The Ioniq 5, a sleek and tech-savvy electric crossover, initially made headlines not just for its design, but for being built at Hyundai’s brand-new Metaplant in Georgia. That domestic assembly qualified it for the EV tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which requires vehicles to be made in North America with batteries sourced from trade-friendly countries. But early in 2025, the Ioniq 5 vanished from the list. Why? Likely due to its battery packs, which were then still being sourced from SK On’s Hungarian facility.

Read more
Sebastian Stan lays out Bucky’s future after Thunderbolts
Sebastian Stan in Thunderbolts.

There are some spoilers ahead for the ending of Marvel's Thunderbolts. Stop reading now if you don't want to be spoiled.

Earlier this year, Captain America: Brave New World briefly introduced a new direction for James "Bucky" Barnes, a character Sebastian Stan has been playing since 2011 in Captain America: The First Avenger. In Brave New World, the former Winter Soldier apparently retired from being a reformed hero and went into politics by running for Congress. Thunderbolts reveals that Bucky won his election to the House of Representatives. But his stay in Congress was short.

Read more
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.

Read more