Engines
Rolls-Royce Starts Testing 320-kilowatt Electric Motor
No reported buyers for the aircraft engine maker's for sale electrical division
Rolls-Royce tests 320-kilowatt electric motor demonstrator
Rolls-Royce has started testing the first demonstrator for a 320-kilowatt electric motor that could be used for new regional aircraft.

Rolls-Royce has assembled the first demonstrator for its 320-kilowatt electric motor and has begun bench tests with it this week in Trondheim, Norway. The direct drive motor is being developed for use with new electric and hybrid-electric regional aircraft seating between 9 and 19 passengers that could operate from short runways.

According to the aircraft engine manufacturer, its engineering teams are focused on minimizing the weight and size of electric to make them more applicable to new aircraft. The demonstrator now being tested features a new design for an air cooling system that weighs less and is less complex, with a four-electric-lane architecture that Rolls-Royce said makes it safer and more fault-resistant.

In this article