You knew it was bound to happen; from electric cars to electric planes.Yesterday HSH Prince Albert II was in the Federal Republic of Germany for the Global Show for General Aviation in Friedrichshafen which will run until the sixteenth. While there the Sovereign Prince made a close inspection (as you can see) of "Electra One" electric airplane designed by Calin Gologan. Our Albie seemed impressed enough with it but I cannot see such a think becoming a mainstay of the jet-set crowd anytime soon. The show presented exhibits from 630 sources hailing from 29 countries. Now, the early stages of innovation often appear ridiculous, perhaps rightly so as that separates the men from the boys in the field of invention, and I don't want to be a wet blanket for those who think "smart cars" and "smart planes" now will 'save the planet' but I just have to add something often overlooked. Battery powered vehicles are good for the environment in that they burn no fossil fuels and do not produce pollution. However, the electricity that powers them has to come from somewhere and in most cases it comes from (guess where) burning fossil fuels. Until something more productive and practical than windmills and solar panels come along electric-powered vehicles are simply adding another step to the process. We still have to burn oil or coal to produce the electricity to power the batteries to run the "smart cars". In any event, the march of progress continues and, as usual, the Prince of Monaco is keeping a close eye on it.
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