Flying Prius

Looks like the Prius is going to get off the ground...well at least the batteries. :roll:

First Manned Airplane Using Hybrid Batteries a Precursor to Fuel Cell Flight. Ground testing has begun on the E-Plane, an electric airplane, expected to be the first manned plane taken from takeoff to landing by an electric motor. Backed by FASTec, the Foundation for Advancing Science and Technology, and with support from NASA, the E-Plane is a compact two-seat carbon composite plane powered by Toyota Prius batteries and a 100 hp motor. An improved version, using both lithium-ion batteries and a 10-15 kW fuel cell should fly in 2004. The third stage will involve flying on a fuel cell alone, with emergency assist from reserve Li ion batteries. The plane is being developed around the French-built DynAero Lafayette III body and will use an electric motor supplied by UQM Corporation. “The propeller is the only source of noise on this airplane,†notes Advanced Technology Products CEO Jim Dunn. Two pounds of hydrogen will fly the plane in the fuel cell mode, giving three times the efficiency of gas. (Aviation Tomorrow/Worcester Polytechnic Institute, November 11, 2003 http://www.aviationtomorrow.com/nuke/index.php