Electric aircraft built by Rolls Royce makes maiden flight in UK

Rolls Royce’s first all-electric aircraft has completed its maiden flight, taking to the skies of the UK for around 15 minutes.

The company said the aircraft’s trip Wednesday marked “the beginning of an intense flight-testing phase” that would involve the collection of performance data on its electrical power and propulsion system.

According to Rolls-Royce, the airplane — dubbed the “Spirit of Innovation” — utilized a 400 kilowatt electric powertrain “with the most power-dense battery pack ever assembled for an aircraft.”

The aircraft’s speed could eventually exceed 300 miles per hour.

The Spirit of Innovation is the result of a program called ACCEL, or Accelerating the Electrification of Flight. Partners in the initiative include electric motor and controller specialist YASA and Electroflight, which Rolls-Royce described as an “aviation start-up.”