Rolls Royce’s electric plane smashes multiple world records
Future aircraft will be powered by "greener" fuels, from ammonia and electricity to hydrogen, and their rate of development is accelerating - literally.
Key takeaways
- The aircraft is propelled by a 500 hp (400-kW) all-electric powertrain and battery pack of 6,000 cells, described as the most energy-dense ever integrated into an aircraft.
- The Spirit of Innovation completed its first taxi tests back in March, and then flew for the first time in September, completing a 15 minute flight and kicking off a more advanced testing phase.
- The latest outing again took place at the UK Ministry of Defence’s Boscombe Down experimental aircraft testing site, and culminated in a trio of world records, according to Rolls Royce.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2021) 'Rolls Royce’s electric plane smashes multiple world records', 311 Institute, 13 December. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/rolls-royces-electric-plane-smashes-multiple-world-records/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
The aviation industry is one of the world’s most polluting industries which is why its future will be dominated by zero emission aircraft like NASA's electric X Plane, powered by everything from ammonia, biofuels, friction, and hydrogen to plain old electric battery power. And now, as the race to become the Tesla of the skies heats up an electric aircraft developed by Rolls Royce to smash the speed record for an all-electric plane looks to have done just that, within just three years of first being announced.
The Spirit of Innovation took to the skies at a UK Ministry of Defence testing site last week where it reached a maximum speed of 623 km/h (387.4 mph), which Rolls Royce says not only makes it the fastest electric aircraft, but the world's fastest electric vehicle of any kind.
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From the outset, the Spirit of Innovation was built from the ground up to become the world's fastest electric airplane, taking aim at the 210 mph (338 km/h) set by Siemens in 2017. The aircraft is propelled by a 500 hp (400-kW) all-electric powertrain and battery pack of 6,000 cells, described as the most energy-dense ever integrated into an aircraft.
The Spirit of Innovation completed its first taxi tests back in March, and then flew for the first time in September, completing a 15 minute flight and kicking off a more advanced testing phase. The latest outing again took place at the UK Ministry of Defence’s Boscombe Down experimental aircraft testing site, and culminated in a trio of world records, according to Rolls Royce.
See the plane in action!
This includes climbing to an altitude of 3,000 m (9,840 ft) in 202 seconds, breaking the previous record by 60 seconds, reaching a top speed of 555.9 km/h (345.4 mph) over 3 km (1.9 miles), and achieving a top speed of 532.1 km/h (330 mph) over 15 km (9.3 miles). These three world record claims have been submitted to the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale for official certification, but the aircraft is said to have also been clocked at 623 km/h (387.4 mph) during these runs, faster than any electric vehicle on the planet, according to Rolls Royce.
“Flying the ‘Spirit of Innovation’ at these incredible speeds and believing we have broken the world record for all-electric flight is a momentous occasion," says test pilot Phill O’Dell. "This is the highlight of my career and is an incredible achievement for the whole team. The opportunity to be at the forefront of another pioneering chapter of Rolls Royce’s story as we look to deliver the future of aviation is what dreams are made of.”
The video above shows the Spirit of Innovation in action during its latest outings.
Source: Rolls-Royce
FAQ
Why does this matter?
Future aircraft will be powered by "greener" fuels, from ammonia and electricity to hydrogen, and their rate of development is accelerating - literally.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
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Sources and further reading
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 13 December 2021. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2021). Rolls Royce’s electric plane smashes multiple world records. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/rolls-royces-electric-plane-smashes-multiple-world-records/
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