Rolls-Royce electric plane sets new speed record, maximum 623 km/h

British Rolls-Royce announced on November 19 that the 'Spirit of Innovation' electric aircraft reached a top speed of 623 km / h, cementing the record for the world's fastest electric vehicle.

The Spirit of Innovation electric aircraft model has a top speed of 623 km/h. Photo: Rolls-Royce

According to Rolls-Royce, the Spirit of Innovation has set three new world records at the top speed for electric aircraft, the fastest time to an altitude of 3,000 meters (202 seconds) and the fastest speed over 15 miles. km (292.8 km/h).

Rolls-Royce has submitted data from its record-setting flight tests to the World Federation of Aviation Sports (FAI), the organization responsible for certifying aviation records globally. "We hope the FAI will authorize and officially confirm the team's performance in the near future," Rolls-Royce said.

According to Rolls-Royce, the top speed of 623 km/h makes the Spirit of Innovation the fastest electric vehicle in the world. The model is part of the ACCEL (Advancing Aviation Electrification) project with funding from the Aviation Institute of Technology (ATI) and the UK's Department of Business, Energy, Industrial Strategy and Innovation.

The airline industry is turning to a number of methods to help reduce carbon emissions to achieve zero emissions by 2050. Electric aircraft are limited by battery technology not enough to power long flights. For example, NASA's experimental electric plane Maxwell X-57 flew for only 40 minutes.

Still, Rolls-Royce's Spirit of Innovation is still a step in the right direction. The model uses a 400 kW electric drivetrain and battery system with the highest energy density ever assembled in the aviation industry.