Originally Posted by
ATC Watcher
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Fully agree and the revolution in battery technology might be around the corner , there are however " fixed rules" that will no change and prevent (or at least seriously hinder) long range use ; The main ones are carrying and landing with the battery weight all the way , and battery recharge time.
Changing empty batteries for fully charged ones was a dream that still need a technological solution as the risk of fire is great. EASA has currently prohibited this on the small aircraft currently being commercialized ( e.g the Velis) . Then there is the notion of reserve ,which needs to be revised and the demonstration to be able to perform a safe go around a Maxi take off weight on near empty batteries.
The fact than range will also depend on the age of the batteries is also an issue. Time might help solve those issues , but it will take many years.
Bio-fuels might be more viable in the mid-term, even if a mixed bag enviromentally. Just take the issues about the B787 and A350 avionics batteries and image the issue magnified 100x. Pods similar to those used for missiles, bombs, range extender tanks or additional reconnaissance equipment on military aircraft come to mind. Easy to exchange for a pre-charged one and easy to jettison in case of trouble. Doesn't solve the energy to weight issue, though.