'Record-breaking' motor could make large electric aircraft a reality claims Siemens

Developed by researchers at Siemens in Germany the motor,  which weighs just 50kg, delivers a continuous output of about 260kW – five times more than comparable drive systems.

The team claims that the motor’s power-to-weight ratio of 5kW per kilogram could enable larger aircraft with take-off weights of up to two tons to make use of electric drives for the first time.

Electric motors of comparable strength that are used in industrial applications typically deliver less than 1kW per kg, whilst the performance of drive systems used in electric vehicles is about 2kW per kg. Siemens claims that it achieved the improved performance by employing advanced simulation techniques and reducing the weight of every component of the system.

Because the motor delivers its performance at rotational speeds of just 2,500 revolutions per minute, it is able to drive propellers directly without the use of a transmission.