That is really good news, but don’t get too hung up on the total miles alone. You want to focus on battery degradation. I think the article said it was still at 80% after 420,000 miles, that’s very good. But you can’t go too much lower than that because that’s what determines how far you’ll go per charge.
Batteries simply do not and never will have the energy density of jet fuel. Sure, you can get an electric plane off the ground, but you cannot get a plane capable of carrying several hundred passengers and hundreds of tons of freight off the ground with batteries … unless the freight is the batteries. Those articles you linked are much like the Popular Science articles of the 60s which touted a flying car in every driveway … fanciful thinking.
Coal is still on par with natural gas, each carrying about 38% of the global electrical generation load. In the US, coal produces almost half of our electricity as compared to about one fifth for natural gas. In China, 65% is from coal and 22% from hydro (think three gorges … got one of those up your sleeve for America?) and only 3% from natural gas. Coal is a long way from dead.
Sorry, the investment by Boeing, Airbus, and others carries more weight than your “expert” opinion, Samm.
“Minority”? Not really. It’s use has declined but jut is still in second for percent of US electricity production, and it is just barely behind natural gas.
In the minority are oil and solar with a combined 1.5% of US electrical generation.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/national/power-plants/?utm_term=.def6cfdf18ed
Nope
Coal is not 50% and Natural gas is greater than coal, time to dust off your sources.
mi·nor·i·ty
məˈnôrədē/
noun
The smaller number or part, especially a number that is less than half the whole number.
Given that definition there is no majority because no power source has 50% or more of electrical production. Natural gas is at 34% a 2nd coal is at 30%. together they are 64% of our energy.
Nice try to put a liberal spin (lie) on it. But once again, you lose, and the truth prevails.
Coal used to be a majority, that is why it is significant. Diversification in energy production is accelerating.
I liked the idea the US Air Force had for nuclear powered jets.
If they could have solved the shielding issues it would have been pretty awesome. Unlimited range.
Okay, the figures I pulled were a few years out of date, but that does not change the fact that coal is not going away soon, particularly globally. Furthermore, natural gas is still a fossil fuel, in spite of its cleaner image. And all it will take is a “feel-good” moratorium on fracking to dry up the domestic supply.
Great idea … until one crashes in a populated area.
We will keep leading the way out here in the west, don’t worry, can’t wait for you old timers who say things can’t be done or can’t even bother to stay informed 
When you run out of electricity “way out west” you import it from the coal powered plants in Colorado. Typical “green” thinking. 
One step at a time, renewables are the ultimate energy independence and I am completely fine with steady diversification; but I get it, fear mongering is what you got.
Speaking of Colorado:
- Since the passage of Amendment 37 in 2004, renewable energy has increased from 2% to almost 22% of total electricity generated.
Is that a good thing, or does it make you angry somehow?
It’s in the top two. it still is a majority.
Nope, fossil fuels are now, but not coal specifically.
That would be an issue.
Yes, it is. Top two. almost even with natural gas. Those two share the majority position. In no way can it be said that coal being 1/3 off our energy is a minority.
Other issues would be one version produced radioactive exhaust. The engines cooled the reactor so they could never be shut down, even when it was parked on the ramp. The Russians built a version and most of the crewmen died of either radiation poisoning or cancer
Like my dad would say, it’s a good idea, it’s just not worth a ■■■■■
