Airbus E-Fan and E-Thrust propulsion system
 

Two-seater electric demonstrator prototype, Airbus E-Fan at Paris Airshow. Lithium batteries power two-nacelled 60 kw electric motors. They have an hour of flight time but recharges in an hour. The composite frame has a T-tail and an inline tandem landing gear with outrigger support wheels. Those wheels are also powered so it could be taxied without the fans pushing it. This arrangement assists in takeoff as well. Airbus has plans for a four-seat variant with a kerosene-powered extender generator. There are also ambitious plans for an electric hybrid regional plane!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d02DjslJgIQ

E Thrust Electric Aircraft propulsion system concept - Video Dailymotion

Not a vehicle to have a fuse "blow" between the battery and motor(s).

When you consider the amazing number of things that could go wrong with a piston airplane engine, that's not like a major worry. Water/dirt in the gas, someone topping of with jet fuel instead of avgas, carb icing... And that's not even counting mechanical failures.

Taking 'range anxiety' to new heights. :D

Pretty cool though :thumbup:

That might be applied to a lot of air craft.
The APU can generate a lot of electrical power and could drive an air craft along the ground. It comes down to if its worth adding the weight of those motors. It may be more economical to just use the main engines or a tug to drag the air craft to the EOR.

The aft wheel has a 6kW electric motor, for taxiing and it accelerates the plane up to 60kmh/37 mph to assist its 110km/h take off speed. The motor has been added because reduces the overall electrical power consumption from the KOKAM 250V 120 cell lithium-ion polymer batteries during operation. Cruise speed is 160 km/h. Plane telemetry for all on-board operations; engine and battery parameters are linked and recorded by ground stations. For your range anxiety, there is even a backup battery for emergency landing situations.

Care to look up how many petrol-fueled accidents happen because the plane ran out of gas?

A $700,000 Cirrus SR22 had a 1,170 nautical mile range. Distance California to Maui, TWICE its range! But their Cirrus Airframe Parachute System had a great marketing day. On a day when two planes crashed because they ran out of fuel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXTlE9-Tey0

Two Small Planes Lose Fuel, Land in Ocean Off Hawaii Hours Apart - NBC News

Commercial viability for an all-electric commercial aircraft is still kinda far, but a hybrid one seems viable.

Anyway, even in Brazil there is at least one 2-seater electric aircraft on tests, but what bothers me is that its engine is made in Slovenia while one of the world's most important electric motor manufacturers is Weg, headquartered in Jaraguá do Sul, Santa Catarina state.

South America's First Electric Airplane Takes Flight - AVweb flash Article

A carbon fiber-made electric aircraft - SORA-e: A carbon fiber-made electric powered aircraft | The Economic Times

It had, however, a landing gear failure (well, I'd rather use a taildragger instead of the tricycle landing gear if I were going to attempt a similar project)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D5VcnU9X7M

WheelTug and EGTS International manufacture powered wheel systems for commercial jetliners.

I still haven't seen any aircraft with powered wheels. Anyway, if their energy consumption is lower than relying solely on the turbofans' thrust while taxiing and if they could provide some regenerative braking at the landing, it may still justify the weight increase.

Turbojets idle very inefficiently, so jetliners can save a lot of fuel if they can use an electric drive wheel powered by the APU to push back from the terminal and to taxi out to the runway, only starting their turbofans once they get close to the end of the taxiway prior to takeoff. This is especially true if the airport if busy and they are having to sit in line on the taxiway with a bunch of other jetliners waiting for their turn to takeoff.

And now that some airports are pushing stricter emission regulations on their premises, electric-driven landing gear might become widespread. In a similar way to what happens to hybrid cars which get their best mileage in city traffic, such "hybrid" aircraft would be especially attractive for regional airliners.