Photos: Flying on a wing and a battery

The Antares 20E is the first commercially produced, one-seater electric aircraft to be certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency, according to Dave Nadler, a glider avionics designer and a spokesman for German producer Lange Aviation. The Antares 20E's two battery packs use lithium ion cells, enabling the craft to climb nearly 10,000 feet or fly level for 100 miles.

Forty of these $300,000 gliders are in use around the world, with several more set to be manufactured this summer.