Rolls-Royce’s ‘Spirit of Innovation’ single-seat electric plane took its first flight this week, and it won’t be the last time it takes to the skies. Rolls-Royce intends to make impressive strides in the electric plane race as part of the ‘Accelerating the Electrification of Flight‘ scheme which seeks to advance research in the field. This research is vital due to increasing temperatures worldwide, in which air travel contributes massively to carbon emissions. Electrifying commercial and private air travel could result in a sizeable dent in total carbon emissions produced worldwide.
Rolls-Royce is not the first company to undertake electronic flight in the modern age. The first electric flight can be traced back to 1973 with the Austrian MB-E1, with its range far more limited than what one would want or expect in air travel today. However, there has been a serious increase in research and testing of travel using alternate power methods over the past decade. Between 2015 and 2016, the Solar Impulse 2 completed a circumnavigation of the Earth using a solar panel attached to its large wing. When it comes to electric, the electrification of aerospace matches the wider trend of electric vehicles being developed with larger ranges in recent years.
The Spirit of Innovation took off from the UK Ministry of Defence’s Boscombe Down site on September 15. The electric plane was in the sky for fifteen minutes to show off its advancements in aerospace technology. What the plane lacks in style it more than makes up for in power. The Spirit of Innovation boasts an eye-watering 400kW (500+hp) electric powertrain. According to Rolls-Royce, this made it “the most power-dense battery pack ever assembled for an aircraft.” For comparison, the Tesla Model Y features a 75 kWh battery.
The Start Of Electric Air Travel?
While this was a successful flight test, it is still early days in terms of electric flight as this was but a single-seat airplane takeoff. A standard airplane that takes people on flights, such as a Boeing 747, requires far more powerful engines and carries a considerably greater payload. In order for commercial airliners to fully adopt this technology, battery power would have to develop further in order to accommodate the added stress.
At present, the Spirit of Innovation is seeking to break the world speed record for an electronic plane, which is currently held by the Extra 330LE at 213.04 mph. Rolls-Royce hopes to hit speeds in excess of 300 mph with the Spirit of Innovation. The company also plans to have an all-electric passenger aircraft ready for commuter use by 2026. In the meantime, eco-conscious consumers will have to consider other ways to travel the world.
