Wright Electric was awarded $3,342,094 for its new Ultra-High-Energy Battery Project to research & develop a new class of batteries for zero-emission electric passenger aircraft. The funding was awarded through the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)’s Fueling Aviation’s Sustainable Transition (FAST) grant program, funded via the Inflation Reduction Act.
Wright is developing electric aircraft to make all regional, single-aisle flights zero emissions. Its Ultra High Energy Battery Project will boost their ongoing research into new, highly energy-dense batteries.
The goal is to produce batteries that will hold more energy per pound of weight than the best electric car batteries. Wright is focusing on large passenger aircraft because the 100+ passenger aircraft market accounts for more than 90% of the carbon emissions of the aerospace industry.
Wright Electric is collaborating with NASA, the US Department of Energy, and the US Department of Defense to build batteries that are compatible with these aircraft.
The FAA’s Fueling Aviation’s Sustainable Transition (FAST) grant program is providing $291 million in federal grant funding to create infrastructure projects related to producing sustainable aviation fuels and developing new aviation technologies to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. The projects will help the US achieve its aviation climate goal of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.