Gloucestershire Airport near Tewkesbury has witnessed the latest step in Rolls-Royce’s future aviation ambitions with the unveiling of what the company is aiming to be the world’s fastest all-electric aircraft.
Work will now begin on integrating the ground-breaking electrical propulsion system to enable the zero-emissions model to make a run for the record books with a target speed of 300mph-plus (480kph) in late spring.
The aircraft is part of a Rolls-Royce initiative called ACCEL, short for Accelerating the Electrification of Flight, part of the company’s strategy to champion electrification.
Partners include electric motor and controller maker YASA and aviation start-up Electroflight, with part-funding from the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), in partnership with the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) 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 – the distance from London to Paris – on a single charge.
Rolls-Royce Electrical director Rob Watson said: “The unveiling is an important step towards the world-record attempt but will also help to ensure we are at the forefront of developing technology in the transition to a low-carbon global economy.”
www.rolls-royce.com www.accel.com
www.yasa.com www.electro-flight.com
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