Rolls-Royce Takes Flight With Different Kind Of Electric Vehicle CarBuzz News Features New Cars Used Cars Sell My Car Shopping Tools Car Reviews Car Finder Compare Cars Best Cars Car Dealerships Used Car Reviews Car Advice Home News Rolls-Royce Takes Flight With Different Kind Of Electric Vehicle

Rolls-Royce Takes Flight With Different Kind Of Electric Vehicle

Jan. 10, 2019 6:03 AM ET by Noah Joseph Video / Comments The ACCEL program looks poised to smash all existing records The time will surely come when we'll see electric-powered automobiles from Rolls-Royce. But in the meantime, the British firm is working on another kind of electric vehicle – and it aims to be much faster than any road-going Rolls to date. Called ACCEL, the initiative aims to "accelerat[e] the electrification of flight" with a battery-powered propeller airplane closer in form to a WW2 fighter plane than a modern jet. And it already looks poised to smash not only the record for electric aircraft, but the landmark speed achieved by the Rolls-powered Supermarine S.6B almost a century ago. Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce As you might have guessed, the ACCEL project is being undertaken not by the Rolls-Royce Motor Company that we know for its uber-luxurious automobiles, but by the aerospace concern of the same name and of which it was once part. Building on experience with prototypes like the EVTOL (pictured below), the ACCEL design will pack 6,000 lithium-ion battery cells and three 750-volt supplied by British electric-motor manufacturer YASA to give it upwards of 1,500 horsepower. That's nearly three times as much as the internal-combustion V12s employed in vehicles like the Wraith, Phantom, and Cullinan, resulting in a much higher terminal velocity. Rolls-Royce ACCEL aims to surpass the 343 mph achieved by the Supermarine S.6B in the 1931 Schneider Trophy for seaplanes. Assuming the project gets off the ground (so to speak), it also stands to positively shatter the existing record for electric aircraft, set at 210 mph less than two years ago by German giant Siemens. "This plane will be powered by a state-of-the-art electrical system and the most powerful battery ever built for flight," said project manager Matheu Parr. "In the year ahead, we're going to demonstrate its abilities in demanding test environments before going for gold in 2020 from a landing strip on the Welsh coastline." Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce

Join The Discussion

Add first comment

Gallery

5 Photos Tags: #Rolls-Royce News #Electric Vehicles #Video

Related Cars

Rolls-Royce Wraith Rolls-Royce Phantom Rolls-Royce Cullinan LoginSign Up Home News Features Car Reviews Car Advice 2021 CarBuzz Awards New Cars Used Cars Future Cars Compare Cars Sell My Car Car Dealerships Buy Here Pay Here Used Car Reviews Popular Tags Cars # Video # TOP # Spy Shots # Reveal # Rumor # Auto Show # Supercar # Tuning # Car Culture # Industry News # Motorsport Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Make Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Car Type SUVs Crossovers Sedans Coupes Trucks Sports Cars Wagons Vans Hatchbacks Convertibles Small Cars Luxury Cars Electric Cars Hybrid Cars Future Cars By Price Up to $15K $15K - $25K $25K - $35K $35K - $45K $45K - $55K $55K - $75K $75K - $100K $100K - $200K $200K - $300K Above $300K Back To Top