A new milestone for Urban Air Mobility

A new milestone for Urban Air Mobility

Rolls-Royce motor demonstrator for UAM passed to test
Rolls-Royce motor demonstrator for UAM passed to test

Electrical technology progress

Our Electrical teams supported with capabilities from Civil Aerospace, have achieved a new milestone on the pathway to enabling Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), passing a motor demonstrator for Urban Air Mobility (UAM) to test.

The completion of the design and assembly of our unique motor technology forms a key enabler for the propulsion of electric aircraft and for the future of more sustainable flight.

Motor demonstrator for 150 kW electric propulsion unit
Motor demonstrator for 150 kW electric propulsion unit

Bringing together novel technologies for electric flight

Our direct drive air-cooled electric motor design for UAM incorporates multiple novel technology bricks which together with the corresponding inverters enable a reduction in overall system complexity, cost, and weight. It has been developed to deliver 150 kW of power, with Transverse Flux topology enabling the highest torque density for air cooling at UAM rpm levels.

Our test team will undertake rigorous testing to validate and verify the assumptions the design engineers worked with during the initial design phase. Learnings from both the assembly and test of this motor demonstrator will be incorporated into the next design iterations and eventually into certifiable products for commercial electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles.

Our test bench in Munich completed specific modifications and upgrades this year to facilitate our UAM motor demonstrator.

Electric machine test facility in Munich, Germany
Electric machine test facility in Munich, Germany

Working together across Rolls-Royce Electrical

Our multi-disciplinary teams from across our global footprint are continuing to work together to lead Advanced Air Mobility. From engineering and manufacturing to testing and supply chain, this latest achievement is the result of collaborative working and enables us to get closer to reaching our target of delivering propulsion for eVTOLs on a commercial basis.

The motor development is partially being funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action.

Register for news and stories

Our Alert service delivers the latest press releases, stories and regulatory news directly to your mailbox.