Rolls-Royce is planning an £80 million investment over the next decade into the development of energy storage systems (ESS) that will enable electric aircraft to fly over 100 miles (160 kilometers) on a single charge.

“We are developing a portfolio of energy storage solutions to complement our electrical propulsion systems,” commented Rob Watson, Director of Electrical at Rolls-Royce. “This will ensure that we can offer our customers a complete electric propulsion system for their platform, whether that is an eVTOL or a commuter aircraft. 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 said its “aerospace-certified” ESS products should power electric and hybrid-electric propulsion systems for eVTOLs (electric vertical takeoff and landing) in the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) market and fixed-wing aircraft, with up to 19 seats, in the commuter market. Rolls-Royce forecasts it will integrate over five million battery cells per year into modular systems by 2035.