Rolls-Royce to Fly an Electric Plane by 2026

At the end of February, Rolls-Royce successfully taxied its all-electric Spirit of Innovation aircraft for the first time, an important step on its way to becoming the world’s fastest all-electric plane and a win for the technology that will see the launch of the first commercial electric plane.

The plane is powered by a 500hp [400kw] electric powertrain and the latest energy storage technology, which is opening up a new world of sustainable travel. Taxiing is an important test of the aircraft’s propulsion system ahead of actual flight-testing, which is planned for the middle of the year, and will—if all goes according to plan—set a new world speed record for electric flight.

Electric planes have been called the future of air travel, a cleaner, more climate-friendly solution than fuel aircraft, but their major shortcoming is the batteries that power them.

While advances in battery technology are significant and ongoing, the batteries needed for longer flights are still so heavy that electric planes have largely been dismissed as a viable solution. The latest advancements in Rolls-Royce’s aviation programmes may be about to change that.

“Electrification of flight is an important part of our sustainability strategy as we aim for net zero carbon by 2050,” said Rob Watson, director of Rolls-Royce Electrical. “Taxiing of the Spirit of Innovation is an incredible milestone for the ACCEL team as we progress to first flight and the world-record attempt later this year.”

The ACCEL programme, short for Accelerating the Electrification of Flight, also involves electric motor and controller manufacturer YASA and aviation start-up Electroflight.

When she takes to the air, the Spirit of Innovation’s battery pack, which includes 6,000 cells, will provide enough energy to fly from London to Paris (about 320km) on a single charge. Considering six of the ten busiest flight routes in the world are less than 1000km, this could be a huge step for sustainable travel.

Rolls-Royce is already taking the technology from the ACCEL project and applying it to products for the consumer market; in Norway where a collaboration between Rolls-Royce, Italian aeronautics manufacturer Tecnam and Scandinavian regional airline Widerøe will see the world’s first commercial all-electric passenger aircraft ready for the Norweigian domestic commuter market in 2026. The electric P-Volt aircraft is based on Tecnam’s 11-seat P2012 Traveller aircraft, which is perfect for the taxi conditions and flight routes of Norway.

Due to its geographical challenges, Norway relies heavily on flights for much of its domestic travel; Norway is the European country with the most airline trips per capita, and the routes from Oslo to Trondheim, Bergen and Stavanger are all amongst the ten busiest in Europe.

Before the pandemic, Widerøe was flying around 400 flights per day between a network of 44 airports. Seventy-four per cent of those flights cover distances of less than 275 km, with the shortest flights taking just seven minutes. While those flights addressed the convenience of travel, they are not a long-term sustainable solution; the country is now aiming for zero emissions for its internal flights by 2040.

The CEO of Widerøe, Stein Nilsen, commented that “Norway’s extensive network of short take-off and landing airports is ideal for zero emissions technologies. This [Rolls-Royce] aircraft shows how quickly new technology can and will be developed, and that we are on track with our ambition of flying with zero emissions around 2025.”

The collaboration is an extension of the research undertaken by Rolls-Royce and Widerøe on sustainable aviation as well as the existing partnership between Rolls-Royce and Tecnam. All three entities bring valuable experience to the project: Rolls-Royce offers expertise in propulsion and power systems, Tecnam has aircraft design, manufacturing and certification capabilities, while Widerøe brings the perspective of an airline operator.

Developing all-electric aircraft will let people travel and stay connected in a sustainable way, something that’s more important than ever after the year we’ve just had. And, as a bonus, with Rolls-Royce involved, it will be as sleek as it is sustainable.

While you’re here, learn how you can be more eco-friendly with your coffee habit.

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