Rolls-Royce Says Its All-Electric Plane Is World’s Fastest After Milestone Trips
Image via Rolls-Royce
Back in September, Rolls-Royce’s prototype all-electric aircraft, dubbed ‘Spirit of Innovation’, successfully took off on its first-ever test flight. The demonstration showed off the plane’s 300 kW electric motor, fuelled by 6,000 battery cells, which the brand claimed was “the world’s most energy-dense flying battery pack.”
Now, Spirit of Innovation has reached an even larger milestone, with the company announcing that the electric airplane could be the fastest in the world—after it reached a top speed of 387.4 mph in recent test flights.
The aircraft set new world records, beginning with one on November 16, when it reached a maximum speed of 345.4 mph over 1.8 miles, surpassing the current benchmark by over 130 mph. It then raised the ceiling on another, reaching 330 mph top speed during a 9.3-mile flight, which beat the current record by nearly 185 mph.
Things got even faster for the Spirit of Innovation, with the aircraft smashing yet another record when it climbed 9,842.5 feet in just 202 seconds, dealing a heavy blow to the current record holder by a minute.
Rolls-Royce said it became the world’s fastest all-electric vehicle, reaching a top speed of 387.4 mph in the process.
According to Gizmodo, to verify its claims, the company will be submitting the data to the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, or the World Air Sports Federation, who will authenticate the records.
Take a look at the Spirit of Innovation in action below.
[via Gizmodo, cover image via Rolls-Royce]
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