Certainly an interesting development, bit doubtful about the "hybrid" bit as "hybrid" has become the new term for "primarily fossil fuel powered"
I see a bright future for all electric aircraft for relatively short routes. The low energy density of the batteries as compared to jet fuel makes long distance use unlikely.
Many relatively short routes would be better served by fast trains, but where no such provision exists the electric plane has a part to play, for access to islands in particular.
An electric aircraft should be safer than an engine driven one. Electric motors are more reliable than the piston engines used in small aircraft. Batteries are inherently modular and complete failure most improbable.
Lithium batteries are a bit risky, but arguably less so than the petrol used by small planes.
Seating comfort and catering are less important for short flights. I would be satisfied with a glass of wine and a decent sandwich. Or even with no catering, provided that a decent bar and restaurant was available at the airport.
I thought "hybrid" meant "petrol engine, but with tax advantages for company car drivers".
Engine failures in aircraft are extremely uncommon. Many airline pilots go through a career from qualification to retirement without ever having to shut down an engine in flight, except in a simulator. Light aircraft are serviced after every 50 hours of flight, more intensively at each 150 hour interval, and extremely thoroughly annually. The engines are simple, often short-bore air cooled 4-cylinder motors, each cylinder having two spark plugs, each of which has an entirely independent ignition circuit. The carburettors (some have injection, but that adds complexity) are fed by a mechanical pump, with an electrical supplementary pump switched on for take-off, landing, and fuel tank changes. Plus, after a certain point in the course for a pilots licence, every lesson will include at least one moment when the instructor pulls back the throttle and announces that "the engine has bust, what do you do next?" The fuel in many small planes is basically leaded 2-star, but causes no more issues than in cars - less, most likely, because of the rigid adherence to servicing routines. Lithium batteries have brought down at least three large jet aircraft, and have been responsible for hundreds of lesser aircraft incidents on the ground. They are not safer than petrol engines, at least not yet.
There may be a bright future in electric aircraft. The advantages are obvious, as are the limitations. Big aircraft flying long distances will suffer from the fact that the fuel doesn't get lighter when it has been used, and I think the big market is likely to be at the recreational end of the spectrum, with the sort of 150 mile jaunts I used to do. That won't stop me from following the Twin Otter experiment with some interest.
