The UK government plans to ban the sale of new conventional petrol and diesel carsby 2040.
But can electrification help cut emissions from that other carbon-intensive form of passenger transport, flying?
This is a complex question and one where size matters.
It is possible for small aircraft to be powered by electricity.
But for the large aircraft we all use more frequently, it is unlikely to happen anytime soon.
The problem isnt the propulsion technology but the energy storage.
Jet fuel contains around 30 times more energy per kilogram than the most advanced lithium-ion battery currently available.
But, according to my calculations, with batteries, it could only fly a little over 1,000 kilometers.
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As I said, size matters.
Simply swapping the fuel for batteries might still reduce the distance the plane can fly by an impractical amount.
First commercial model
However, there could be another option.
Israeli firmEviationrecently revealed a prototype version of what it claims will be the worlds first commercial all-electric passenger aircraft.
Carrying nine passengers with a range of 1,000km, Alice is expected to enter service in 2022.
So how can electrification help here?
Improving battery technology is one option.
A new technology known aslithium-air batteriescan theoretically reach the same energy density as jet fuel.
However, they are still at the laboratory stage.
This could reduce the amount of energy the aircraft would need by 20 percent.
Such a major design shift has too many technical challengesto make it commercially viableright now.
For example, most airports wouldnt be able to accommodate a blended-wing aircraft.
For this reason, the main aircraft engine manufacturers are investing heavily in improving their current engine technology.
But its worth remembering that aviation currently contributes only 2 percent to 3 percent of global CO2 emissions.
Reducing aviation emissions by 20 percent per generation of aircraft probably might not be a sustainable improvement.
