On July 6th, 2021, Rolls-Royce, the British aviation engine company (which has previously sold its Rolls-Royce automobile department and brand to BMW), announced that its electric aircraft “Spirit of Innovation” will use Jaguar I-Pace as a ground support vehicle to assist its 300+ mph speed challenge.
This aircraft belongs to the ACCEL project, which stands for “Accelerating the Electrification of Flight”. The core partners include YASA, a motor and controller manufacturer, and Electroflight, an electric aircraft start-up. Half of the funding is provided by the UK Aerospace Technology Institute and the Department for Business, Energy, & Industrial Strategy.
The “Spirit of Innovation” electric propulsion system can output more than 500 horsepower and is equipped with the highest energy density battery pack in aircraft history, which can provide enough endurance to fly from London to Paris on a single charge. Coincidentally, the 90 kWh battery pack of the Jaguar I-Pace, which weighs 194 kg, can provide a range of 292 miles, which happens to be the distance from London to Paris by road.
Aircraft are more concerned with weight reduction than automobiles, as weight has a greater impact on their performance than on automobiles. However, the energy density of electric aircraft batteries is clearly lower than that of the combination of internal combustion engines and fuel, resulting in limited endurance, leading many people to believe that electric aircraft are a product without commercial value.
In fact, electric aircraft have a very outstanding feature, which is very low maintenance and operating costs without expensive turbine engines and their maintenance or aviation fuel costs. In fact, as a short-range cross-water shuttle, it is an excellent choice that combines speed and cost.
The use of electric aircraft is also more suitable for scenarios such as training aircraft and scenic sightseeing, where high performance and endurance are not necessary.
🔗Source: Rolls-Royce
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