E-fan X: Airbus, Rolls-Royce and Siemens are designing a hybrid-electric plane

The companies Airbus, Rolls-Royce and Siemens have combined their knowledge and together they will create a completely new aircraft engine E-fan X. It is a hybrid-electric aircraft engine system that should be ready by 2020. After 'ground' tests the real one will follow, in the air, when one of the four conventional turbine engines will be replaced by an electric one.

In the program E-fan X will be installed under the wing of the aircraft instead of the usual one electric motor, which will have two megawatts of power. When the system will be thoroughly studied and its usefulness will be proven in practice, they will be added yet another electric motor under the wings of the plane. As part of the E-fan X program, each company will contribute its knowledge and help with experience from previous practice. Airbus will be responsible for the batteries, system integration and for its control and management. Rolls-Royce will be responsible for the electric motor casing, a two-megawatt generator and the electronics that will connect it all. Siemens will contribute the electric motor, its control unit and also the DC/DC converter.

One of the biggest advantages in the aviation sector is at this moment improvement, which would lead to better environmental protection and make aircraft more efficient and less dependent on fossil fuels. The partners of the E-fan X project are determined to achieve the criteria of the European Union, which are in the vision for aviation until the year 2050 wants to reduce CO emissions₂ for 75 %, hazardous NOx particles for 90 % and noise for 65 %.