Oct 28th, 2018 : e-Plane

This is from 2014 but the first I’ve heard of it, your mileage may vary.

The fully electric E-Fan aircraft, engineered by Airbus Group, made one of its first public demonstrations here last week following it's first-ever flight in France on March 11.
The novel two-seater aircraft was designed from the outset for electrical propulsion, from its energy management system to safety features.

A series of lithium-ion batteries fitted into the wings of the plane are the sole power source for the E-Fan's two 30-kilowatt electric motors. A 6 kW electric motor in the main wheel provides extra power during acceleration and taxiing to reduce electrical power consumption on the ground.
But despite its highly energy efficient design, the E-Fan only has a one-hour range, which means it cannot leave the vicinity of an airport. To combat range anxiety, the plane is outfitted with a backup battery for landing purposes and a parachute that can be deployed as high as 2,000 feet.

Airbus Group's ultimate goal is to make a 70- to 80-person hybrid-electric commuter jet with three hours of range in the 2050 time frame. Initial designs of the E-Thrust aircraft show the plane with six electric-powered fans that will be powered by a gas-fueled energy storage unit during the ascent and cruise phase and then glide using electric power alone while descending.
In the next step toward achieving this, Airbus will make a next-generation two-seater electric plane, set for launch in 2017, and a four-seater electric plane with a gas-powered range extender, set for launch in 2019.

There are currently six players in the game.

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Shouldn't they be able to extend its range by making it a biplane or triplane?

...and a parachute that can be deployed as high as 2,000 feet.

Shouldn't that be 'as low as 2,000 feet'?

Depends on what the gliding capability is. It may be able to dive from FL20 or higher and build up enough speed to level out for a landing. In that case, the parachute system would be automatically disabled at higher altitudes to prevent accidental deployment. Up to that altitude, it would be an available option to the pilot.

The official minimum deployment height for Cirrus parachutes is 400 feet agl in level flight or 920 feet in a spin, but factors such as speed affect the altitude required. FAA-certified tests have shown full parachute inflation could occur as low as 260 to 290 feet agl for some aircraft, according to BRS.

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Well, I thought I knew how parachutes worked...Maybe I don't know how sentences work, either.

:sadpace: