Rolls-Royce’s Spirit of Innovation electric plane has been crowned as the world’s fastest electric vehicle after its speed records were officially accepted.
The battery-powered plane flew at 345 miles an hour (555 kilometres an hour) over a distance of 3km in November, and did 330 miles an hour (532 km/h) over 15km, smashing two previous records, the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale confirmed.
The plane reached a top speed of 387 miles an hour (623km/h) in the test flights to claim the title of the world’s fastest all-electric vehicle.
The team may also have broken the record for quickest all-electric ascent to 3,000 metres, clocking in at 202 seconds and beating the previous record by a minute, although this attempt is still in the verification process.
The pilot of the single-seater monoplane, Phill O’Dell, described the record at the time as “the highlight of my career” and a “momentous occasion”.
Warren East, chief executive of Rolls-Royce, called the world speed record a fantastic achievement.
Read more: The Telegraph
