( CNN ) -- Imagine taking a peaceful flight , gliding along without much noise or any fuel , effortlessly descending into the airport without a trace of emissions . Sounds like a dream ? It is . But one we can imagine in the not-so-distant future . E-Fan , the brainchild of parent Airbus Group , is a prototype hybrid electric motor glider which will first be used for training pilots for their license at a school in Bordeaux , France , by 2017 . It debuted with its first public test flight in April 2014 , and the two-seater electric aircraft is powered by two batteries , producing 60 kilowatts of power , which will be able to run for half an hour . The E-Fan has been a continuous journey of evolution , says chief technical officer Jean Botti . `` This is a learning curve to get to the big ones in the future . '' It started five years ago when Airbus Group experimented with the Cri-Cri , a tiny plane based on the 1970s Cri-Cri , one of the smallest twin-engine planes in history . Besides the benefits of noise and emissions reduction , the reduced cost of training pilots with the E-Fan is incredible , says Botti . It costs about two cents per hour to fly the electric plane , a number which is up to 20-50 times cheaper than the normal fuel costs of today 's aircraft , he says . Ultimately , these savings will get passed on to the customer , explained Botti , as the electric-powered flight training becomes a reality . What 's ahead for electric ? Eventually , the company has its eye on building planes for regional flights , with up to 90 people flying for three hours , although this is still 15-20 years away , says Botti . `` We 're not talking about replacing the A380 , '' he says . But the shorter-term goals also include helicopters with hybrid electric technology . For Airbus Group , much of the investment is being mobilized by the European Commission 's `` Flightpath 2050 '' which aims to cut aircraft CO2 emissions by 75 % , and noise levels to be reduced by 65 % from their 2000 levels . The goal is to make tens to hundreds of these planes , and Airbus Group says it will be designed by schools with apprenticeship programs in order to help raise up the new engineers of tomorrow . The biggest challenge for E-Fan is developing new energy storage . `` We can not afford to stay with the state of batteries today . We need to go much higher in terms of efficiency , '' says Botti , adding that the company 's new research center in Munich , Germany , will have the capacity to do just that . Alternative planes take off . It 's not just Airbus looking to alternative aircraft to help save energy , cut fuel consumption and reduce noise . There are several others developing alternative aircraft with their own success . Recently , the Solar Impulse 2 , a fully solar-powered aircraft , was unveiled by a Swiss duo which will attempt to fly non-stop for 120 hours without any fuel next year . Made of carbon fiber , its predecessor , Solar Impulse , smashed aviation records as it succeeded in the first solar-powered overnight flight , lasting 26 hours in 2010 . Another creation is the Dutch-designed , German-built Antares 23E , an electric aircraft with 23-meter wings which can glide for 60 kilometers ( 37 miles ) . The Antares 23E can climb to 3,500 meters on a single battery charge .
Electric hybrid motors signal a greener , quieter flight path . Airbus group developing electric planes to train pilots by 2017 . Company plans to have electric flights for 90 passengers in 15-20 years .