Electric vehicles are all the rage right now, but most of the conversation about them takes place on the ground, with companies like Tesla dominating the electric car industry. A big reason for that is that it’s a lot easier to power a car than a plane, so developing batteries for all-electric planes is a heavier task.
But it’s happening, and that could have profound implications on one of the most environmentally-damaging industries in the world: flight. We love to see the world going greener, and it’s having a profound impact on culture.
Even casino games are going green! There are loads of amazing green-themed slot games you can play online right now. With the likes of Lucky Clover and Leprechaun’s Song available, why not channel some green energy next time you have a punt on the online fruit machines? To find the best places to play these beautiful slot games, you’re going to need to find the best online casinos. Check out some of the most popular online gambling sites at the touch of a button! If commercial flight is going green, why not double down with your casino gaming experience?
There’s still a long way to go before we can say for sure that passenger jets will be all-electric in the future, but it’s looking more and more likely. Let’s find out a bit more about one of the most exciting green projects of the 21st century so far.
Who is Rolls-Royce?
Traditionally associated with luxury cars since 1906, Rolls-Royce is an engineering company based in Derby. Beyond the beautiful cars they’ve produced over the past 115 years, and for which they had a bumper year for sales in 2021, Rolls-Royce has created engines for military vehicles and more. And now, they’re moving into the world of electrics and doing so in fine style so far.
What’s the spirit of innovation?
The plane that Rolls-Royce developed to break the speed record was fittingly named the Spirit of Innovation. It has a 400kW battery which produces just under 500bhp. That may not seem like much for a jet plane, but due to the lack of resistance of an electric engine, it’s enough to get it off the ground and fly pretty fast indeed!
The plane was flown for the first time in November 2021 by the director of operations for the project and test pilot, Phill O’Dell. He claimed that the flight was the ‘highlight of [his] career’ so far, strong words indeed!
Which records were broken?
The first and most exciting world record for an all-electric flight that Rolls-Royce has broken with the Spirit of Innovation is the top speed. The plane reached a peak of 387.4mph, beating the previous record set by Siemens’ Extra 330 LE Aerobic by 132mph. That record was set in 2017.
On top of that, the Spirit of Innovation has beaten the record for the quickest climb to 3000m. It did it in just 202 seconds, smashing the previous record by a whole minute.
What does this mean for the future?
The phrase that has been coined to describe a world of carbon-neutral air travel is ‘jet zero’, and Rolls-Royce’s development of the Spirit of Innovation brings us one step closer to that. Of course, there is still a long way to go before a passenger jet with several hundred people on board (plus all the luggage!) is able to take off from the ground, but surely it is only a matter of time.
Consider just a few years ago when the idea of an electric car was fringe technology that many people scoffed at. Now, many people own electric cars, and companies like Tesla are thriving as a result of that. If we use this model as a basis to predict how electric air travel will look in a few years’ time, it’s a very exciting thought.
Air travel is one of the biggest contributors of CO2 to the atmosphere; therefore, it is one of the biggest contributors to global warming. Perhaps, with all-electric jets, we will be able to scale back this global warming before it’s too late.
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