Pipistrel Taurus
Pipistrel Taurus is a Slovenian family of self-launching two-seat microlight sailplanes, including pioneering electric-powered variants.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Pipistrel Taurus is a Slovenian family of lightweight, self-launching microlight sailplanes designed and built by Pipistrel. The aircraft combines the soaring characteristics of a glider with an integrated propulsion system that allows it to take off under its own power, climb to a suitable altitude, retract its propeller and continue flight as a sailplane. Its two-seat, side-by-side cabin and compact retractable propulsion arrangement distinguish it from conventional single-seat gliders and from powered ultralight aircraft. Development began in June 2001. Pipistrel based the Taurus wing design on the company’s Sinus aircraft but developed a new two-seat fuselage. The initial powered configuration used a pop-out propeller in the rear fuselage driven by a Rotax 503 two-stroke piston engine. An unpowered PureGlider configuration also emerged and first flew in 2006. After Rotax discontinued the 503 engine, the original combustion-powered configuration was marketed as the Taurus M, while remaining aircraft used the available engine supply. The Taurus became particularly notable for its electric aviation program. Pipistrel announced the Taurus Electro in 2007, replacing the piston engine with a permanent-magnet synchronous three-phase brushless motor. The prototype first flew in December 2007, and the updated Taurus Electro G2 entered series production in 2011. Its electric power system was designed primarily for self-launching rather than sustained powered cruise: the aircraft could climb under electric power, retract the motor and propeller, and then exploit thermals and aerodynamic efficiency as a glider. The Electro G2 used a 40 kW electric motor and lithium batteries, with a reported powered endurance of approximately 17 minutes and a target self-launch altitude of about 2,000 metres. The electric Taurus attracted recognition in both design and aviation competitions. In 2010, the Taurus Electro received a gold medal at Slovenia’s BIO 22 industrial design biennial. At AERO Friedrichshafen in 2011, it received the Lindbergh Electric Aircraft Prize for best electric aircraft, with the award highlighting its integrated electric propulsion and trailer-based solar recharging concept. By 2011, Pipistrel had delivered 100 aircraft from the Taurus family. The platform also served as the basis for more experimental aircraft. The Taurus G4 was a one-off, four-seat, twin-fuselage aircraft derived from the electric Taurus and developed as a test bed for advanced propulsion, including technology intended for Pipistrel’s Panthera hybrid program. In September 2011, the G4 won the CAFE Foundation’s Green Flight Challenge by achieving 403.5 passenger miles per gallon of gasoline equivalent with two people aboard. The result earned the project a 1.35 million US dollar prize funded by NASA, according to the referenced account. The G4 later became the basis for the HY4 hydrogen-electric demonstrator. Developed through European research programs including Hypstair and Mahepa, the aircraft used hydrogen tanks and batteries in its fuselages, with fuel cells and an electric motor installed in the central nacelle. In September 2023, the HY4, operated by H2Fly, completed reported piloted flights using liquid hydrogen, including a flight lasting more than three hours. This research lineage made the Taurus family relevant beyond recreational gliding, linking it to the development of low-emission electric and hydrogen-electric aircraft. The Taurus is therefore best understood as an aircraft product family rather than a standalone corporate brand. Its core proposition is efficient two-seat soaring with self-launch capability, while its electric and experimental derivatives have served as technology demonstrators for cleaner aviation. Publicly documented information does not establish a current production status for every variant, so the family’s present commercial availability is uncertain.
History
Pipistrel began developing the Taurus in June 2001 as a self-launching aircraft in the microlight sailplane category. The project retained the aerodynamic concept of the company’s Sinus wing while introducing a new fuselage with two seats arranged side by side. A retractable rear-mounted propeller enabled the aircraft to take off without external assistance. In the original powered design, the propeller was driven by a Rotax 503 piston engine. The Taurus program expanded beyond the initial combustion-powered model. The unpowered Taurus PureGlider first flew in 2006, providing a configuration for operators who did not require an onboard launch engine. After the Rotax 503 was discontinued, the combustion-powered aircraft were marketed as Taurus M, while continuing to use remaining engines of the original type. The Taurus M retained the family’s central concept: a compact, efficient two-seat sailplane capable of self-launching and then gliding with the propulsion system retracted. Pipistrel began developing an electric version in 2007. The Taurus Electro replaced the piston engine with a permanent-magnet synchronous three-phase brushless motor and first flew in December of that year. The electric system was intended to provide enough energy for self-launching and initial climb rather than long-duration powered flight. This allowed the aircraft to combine electric propulsion with conventional soaring operations. Two early Electro aircraft were produced before the design was updated for series manufacture. The Taurus Electro G2 was introduced in 2011. It used a 40 kW electric motor and lithium batteries, with reported powered endurance of about 17 minutes. The intended operating sequence was to climb to roughly 2,000 metres under electric power, retract the propeller and motor assembly, and then continue as a sailplane. This configuration was described as the first two-seat electric aircraft to reach series production. The aircraft also attracted attention for a trailer-based solar charging concept, allowing the battery system to be replenished using renewable electricity. The family received several forms of recognition. In 2010, the Taurus Electro won a gold medal at Slovenia’s BIO 22 industrial design biennial. In 2011, it received the Lindbergh Electric Aircraft Prize for best electric aircraft at AERO Friedrichshafen. The same year, Pipistrel had delivered 100 aircraft in the Taurus family, demonstrating that the program had moved beyond a purely experimental concept. Pipistrel also used the Taurus architecture for advanced propulsion research. The Taurus G4 was a one-off twin-fuselage aircraft with four seats. It was based on the Taurus Electro and served as an engineering test bed for the company’s forthcoming Panthera hybrid work. The G4 used a 150 kW motor installed in the central wing section between the fuselages. In September 2011, it won the CAFE Foundation’s Green Flight Challenge, achieving 403.5 passenger miles per gallon of gasoline equivalent with two occupants. The achievement was linked to a 1.35 million US dollar prize donated by NASA. The twin-fuselage demonstrator was subsequently adapted for hydrogen-electric research. Through the EU-funded Hypstair program and the later Mahepa project, the aircraft received a DLR hydrogen fuel-cell powertrain and became known as the HY4. Hydrogen tanks and batteries were placed in the fuselages, while the fuel cells and electric motor were housed in the central nacelle. The project involved partners including Compact Dynamics, Ulm University, Delft University of Technology, Politecnico di Milano and the University of Maribor. In September 2016, the HY4 flew in its hydrogen-electric configuration. In September 2023, the Taurus-derived HY4 was operated by H2Fly in reported piloted flights powered by liquid hydrogen. One flight lasted more than three hours. These flights represented a significant extension of the original Taurus concept, from a recreational self-launching sailplane to a platform supporting research into hydrogen-electric regional aviation. The Taurus family’s documented history consequently spans conventional ultralight gliding, battery-electric propulsion and hydrogen fuel-cell experimentation. Current production and availability of individual variants are not fully established by the supplied sources.
- 2023
Liquid-hydrogen flight demonstrations
[1]H2Fly operates reported piloted HY4 flights powered by liquid hydrogen, including a flight exceeding three hours.
- 2016
HY4 hydrogen-electric configuration flies
[1]The Taurus-derived HY4 flies with a DLR hydrogen fuel-cell powertrain developed through European research programs.
- 2011
Electro G2 enters series production
[1]The updated Taurus Electro G2 is introduced for series production with a 40 kW motor and lithium batteries.
- 2011
Taurus G4 wins Green Flight Challenge
[1]The four-seat Taurus G4 wins the CAFE Foundation Green Flight Challenge with a reported efficiency of 403.5 passenger miles per gallon of gasoline equivalent.
- 2010
BIO 22 design award
[1]The Taurus Electro receives a gold medal at Slovenia’s Biennale of Design.
- 2007
Taurus Electro announced
[1]Pipistrel announces an electric Taurus variant using a permanent-magnet synchronous brushless motor instead of the Rotax piston engine.
- 2007
Taurus Electro first flight
[1]The first Taurus Electro flies in December with electric propulsion.
- 2006
PureGlider first flight
[1]The unpowered Taurus PureGlider configuration makes its first flight.
- 2001
Taurus development begins
[1]Pipistrel starts developing the Taurus as a self-launching two-seat microlight sailplane, using the Sinus wing concept with a newly designed fuselage.
Products and positioning
A lightweight, efficient two-seat soaring aircraft family positioned at the intersection of ultralight aviation, self-launching sailplanes and low-emission propulsion research.
Combustion-powered self-launching microlight sailplane
Taurus M
The Taurus M, also known as the Taurus 503, is the original powered configuration of the Taurus family. It uses a retractable rear-mounted propeller driven by a Rotax 503 two-stroke piston engine. The aircraft has two seats, a high-efficiency sailplane wing and an integrated propulsion system intended to provide self-launch capability before the engine and propeller are retracted for soaring. After production of the Rotax 503 ended, remaining engines continued to be used in aircraft marketed as Taurus M.
Unpowered microlight glider · 2006
Taurus PureGlider
The PureGlider is the unpowered version of the Taurus platform. It removes the engine installation and is intended for users who launch the aircraft by external means or operate it within conventional gliding environments. The variant first flew in 2006 and demonstrates that the Taurus airframe was designed to function both as a self-launching aircraft and as a pure sailplane.
Electric self-launching microlight sailplane · 2007
Taurus Electro
The Taurus Electro replaces the Taurus M’s piston engine with a permanent-magnet synchronous three-phase brushless electric motor. The prototype first flew in December 2007. Its propulsion concept focuses on quiet, low-emission self-launching and initial climb, after which the motor and propeller can be retracted and the aircraft can operate as a glider. Two early aircraft were produced before the design was developed into the Electro G2.
Series-production electric microlight sailplane · 2011
Taurus Electro G2
The Electro G2 is the updated production version of the electric Taurus. It uses a 40 kW electric motor and lithium batteries, with a reported powered endurance of approximately 17 minutes. The system is designed to lift the aircraft to roughly 2,000 metres for transition into soaring flight rather than to provide long-distance powered operation. It was presented as the first two-seat electric aircraft to achieve series production and was associated with a solar-assisted charging system integrated into the aircraft trailer.
Experimental four-seat electric aircraft · 2011
Taurus G4
The Taurus G4 is a one-off, four-seat, twin-fuselage aircraft derived from the electric Taurus. A 150 kW motor is mounted in the central wing section between the fuselages. Rather than being a conventional production model, the G4 served as an experimental platform for high-efficiency flight and as a propulsion development test bed for Pipistrel’s Panthera hybrid work. Its performance in the 2011 Green Flight Challenge made it one of the most prominent derivatives of the Taurus design.
Hydrogen-electric experimental aircraft · 2016
Taurus HY4
The HY4 is a hydrogen-electric development of the Taurus G4 twin-fuselage platform. European research programs added a DLR hydrogen fuel-cell powertrain, with hydrogen tanks and batteries positioned in the fuselages and the fuel cells and electric motor installed in the central nacelle. The aircraft was used to investigate practical hydrogen-electric flight and later conducted liquid-hydrogen-powered piloted demonstrations under H2Fly’s operation.
Brand decisions
2016
Conversion of the Taurus G4 into the HY4 demonstratorGeneration changeBackground
European research projects investigated whether hydrogen fuel cells could extend the range and endurance of electric aircraft.
Action taken
The G4 platform received a DLR hydrogen fuel-cell powertrain through the Hypstair and Mahepa research programs.
Aftermath
The resulting HY4 became a platform for hydrogen-electric flight demonstrations, including later liquid-hydrogen flights.
2011
Introduction of the Taurus Electro G2Product launchBackground
The original Taurus Electro was developed into a version suitable for serial manufacture and practical self-launching operations.
Action taken
Pipistrel introduced the Electro G2 with a 40 kW electric motor and lithium batteries.
Aftermath
The variant was described as the first two-seat electric aircraft to enter series production and received international aviation recognition.
2011
Use of the Taurus platform as an advanced-propulsion test bedStrategyBackground
Pipistrel needed a larger aircraft platform to investigate efficient electric flight and future hybrid propulsion concepts.
Action taken
The company created the four-seat, twin-fuselage Taurus G4 with a central 150 kW electric motor.
Aftermath
The G4 won the Green Flight Challenge and later provided the basis for hydrogen-electric HY4 research.
2007
Shift toward electric self-launching propulsionStrategyBackground
Pipistrel sought to extend the Taurus concept beyond piston-powered self-launching by developing an electric propulsion system.
Action taken
The company replaced the Rotax piston engine with a permanent-magnet synchronous brushless electric motor and developed the Taurus Electro.
Aftermath
The prototype flew in 2007, followed by the Electro G2, which was introduced for series production in 2011.
Recent events
- 2023
HY4 completes piloted liquid-hydrogen electric flights[1]
Product generation · Other
The Taurus-derived HY4 demonstrator, operated by H2Fly, completed reported piloted flights using liquid hydrogen, including a flight lasting more than three hours.
- 2011
Taurus Electro wins Lindbergh Electric Aircraft Prize[1]
Other
At AERO Friedrichshafen, the Taurus Electro was recognized as the best electric aircraft. The award cited its integrated electric power system and solar-assisted recharging approach.
- 2011
Taurus family reaches 100 delivered aircraft[1]
Other
Pipistrel had delivered 100 aircraft from the Taurus family by 2011, according to the referenced account.
- 2011
Taurus G4 wins Green Flight Challenge[1]
Other
The experimental Taurus G4 won the CAFE Foundation Green Flight Challenge after recording 403.5 passenger miles per gallon of gasoline equivalent with two people aboard. The result was associated with a 1.35 million US dollar NASA-funded prize.
- 2010
Taurus Electro receives Slovenian industrial design recognition[1]
Other
The Taurus Electro received a gold medal at the BIO 22 Slovenian Biennale of Design, recognizing its combination of aerodynamic form and electric-aircraft technology.
Sources2 sources
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