Rolls-Royce's all-electric plane, the Spirit of Innovation, has just gone and absolutely destroyed the speed record for an electric airplane. Decimating the record by over 130 MPH, the plane managed to reach a blistering 345 MPH across the three kilometre test course.
The previous record was held by Siemens Extra 330LE, which managed to achieve 213 MPH, a speed that is 132 MPH slower than Rolls-Royce's aircraft. It is worth noting however that the record is yet to be officially certified, meaning the exact speeds could differ a tad when all is said and done.
It's also worth noting that while the record is nothing to sneer at, electric planes are still not all that practical, as they are significantly less energy dense than typical jet fuel, meaning they can only really support short trips currently.
Rolls-Royce is no stranger to aeronautics, as the company is the creator of the Trent engine, a system that is used on a lot of Airbus and Boeing aircraft. The company also has a history in the industry, as it started creating plane engines in WW1 and has continued to do so ever since.