An electric aircraft is an aircraft powered by electric motors. Electricity may be supplied by a variety of methods including; batteries, ground power cables, solar cells, ultracapacitors, fuel cells and even power beaming.

Electrically powered model aircraft have been flown since the 1970s, with one unconfirmed report as early as 1957. They have since developed into small battery-powered unmanned aerial vehicles or drones, which in the twenty-first century have become widely used for many purposes. (source)