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This is the Rolls-Royce among airplanes

British aircraft manufacturer Rolls-Royce has brought out an all-electric plane. The plane is named "Spirit of Innovation" and has already set three world records. Rolls-Royce hopes one day to create fuel-free air travel. And with the all-electric aircraft 'Spirit of Innovation,' the company seems closer than ever to that goal.Text: Noa Verseveldt
Image: Rolls-Royce

Record breaking

On Sept. 15, Rolls- Royce released its first all-electric aircraft, "Spirit of Innovation. The flight had a duration of 15 minutes, but the company did not say what speed the plane reached. The plane was built to break the speed record for electric planes. This record stood in the name of Siemens, which reached the speed of 338 kilometers per hour with an electric plane in 2017. The "Spirit of Innovation" is powered by a 400 kilowatt-hour electric powertrain. Rolls-Royce says it is the most powerful propulsion battery ever used in space travel. Accordingly, the 'Spirit of Innovation' achieved a maximum speed of 623 km/h on Nov. 16.

Sustainable flying

CEO Warren East did add in the press release that he is not just concerned with the world record. He explained, "Claiming the record for the fastest all-electric aircraft is a fantastic achievement for the ACCEL team and Rolls-Royce. But this is another milestone that will help make jet zero a reality. Also, it supports our ambitions to deliver the technological breakthroughs society needs to decarbonize air, land and sea transportation. However, the Spirit ofInnovation is not suitable for passenger transportation. The plane has room for only one pilot. The rest of the plane is needed for the battery pack.