Rolls-Royce has announced investments of £80m in Energy Storage Systems (ESS) over the next decade, as it seeks to strengthen its position as a leading supplier of aviation all-electric and hybrid-electric power propulsion systems.
Rolls-Royce has plans to integrate more than five million battery cells into modular systems on an annual basis by 2035.
The company’s aerospace-certified ESS solutions will power electric and hybrid-electric propulsion systems for electric Vertical Takeoff And Landing (eVTOLs) in the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) market and fixed-wing commuter aircraft (up to 19 seats).
Rob Watson, Director of Electrical, Rolls-Royce, said, “This multi-million-pound investment by Rolls-Royce over the next decade is another demonstration of our ambitions in electrification. We are developing a portfolio of energy storage solutions to complement our electrical propulsion systems. It will enable us to be a ‘one-stop shop’ for all-electric or hybrid-electric propulsion systems, which is incredibly exciting as these new markets develop and expand.”
Rolls-Royce has already designed ten different aerospace battery systems, of which four have already flown in three aircraft, notching up more than 250 hours of flight experience.
Two more designs are slated to complete their first flights in aircraft this year. The goal is to enable aircraft to fly distances of over 160 km on a single charge.