Rolls-Royce’s ‘Spirit of Innovation’ electric aircraft has clocked 387mph

This is the Rolls-Royce ‘Spirit of Innovation’, an electric aircraft that has claimed three new world records and clocked up a top speed of 387.4mph, which RR reckons makes it the world's fastest all-electric vehicle.

The non-car bit of Rolls-Royce ran its electric plane at the Ministry of Defence’s Boscombe Down experimental aircraft test site only last week, and has submitted the data to the World Air Sports Federation for verification.

On 16 November, RR said the Spirit of Innovation hit 345.5mph over three kilometres – beating the existing record by 132mph – managing 330mph over 15km (182mph faster than the previous record) and climbing to 3,000 metres in 202 seconds. That’s a minute faster than before.

The electric plane packs a 500bhp+ electric powertrain with, says Rolls, the most “power dense propulsion battery pack ever assembled in aerospace”.

RR said the speed records also gave an insight for electric urban air mobility and hybrid-electric commuter aircraft, too. “The characteristics that ‘air-taxis’ require from batteries,” says Rolls, “are very similar to what was developed for the Spirit of Innovation”.

Rolls-Royce CEO Warren East said: “Following the world’s focus on the need for action at COP26, this is another milestone that will help make ‘jet zero’ a reality and supports our ambitions to deliver the technology breakthroughs society needs to decarbonise transport across air, land and sea.”