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In pictures: Rolls-Royce unveils the world’s fastest electric-powered aircraft
The plane is part of a Rolls-Royce initiative called ACCEL and is a key part of Rolls-Royce’s strategy to champion electrification.
Rolls-Royce’s ambitions to build the world’s fastest all-electric aircraft have taken an important step forward with the unveiling of the plane at Gloucestershire Airport. All Image courtesy: RollsRoyce
Work will now begin on integrating the ground-breaking electrical propulsion system to enable the zero-emissions plane to make a run for the record books with a target speed of 300+ MPH (480+ KMH) in late Spring 2020.
The project involves a host of partners including electric motor and controller manufacturer YASA and the aviation start- up Electroflight. Half of the project’s funding is provided by the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), in partnership with the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and Innovate UK.
ACCEL will have the most power-dense battery pack ever assembled for an aircraft, providing enough energy to fuel 250 homes or fly 200 miles (London to Paris) on a single charge.
An advanced cooling system ensures optimum performance by directly cooling cells during the high-power record runs.
The ACCEL project is just one of the ways in which Rolls-Royce is developing lower carbon power.
The programme is part of the airline´s ambition to replace and electrify its regional fleet of 30+ planes by 2030.
