Rolls-Royce and EADS Join Forces for a Hybrid Jet

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By Sean Fitz-Gerald2013-08-06 15:32:35 UTC

Two companies are joining forces to make the sky a greener place with a futuristic airliner, a cross between a jet and a hybrid car.

European aviation company EADS, which is rebranding as the Airbus group, and Rolls-Royce are testing a new technology to build a quiet, efficient jet for a project called eConcept. Electricity is generated and fed to six fans in the back of the plane to propel the aircraft using an e-thrust system.

See also: Volvo's Electric Car Charger Design Is Stunning and Portable

The jet would use a single turbine engine to drive a generator and batteries would store energy. A top Rolls-Royce official told the BBC that the project could be ready by 2030.

Watch the video above to learn more, then take a visual tour of some of the specifics below (click the diagonal arrows in the lower right-hand corner to enlarge the clip).

Image: EADS

Topics: Airbus, Airplane, Dev & Design, eads, green, Newsy, planes, Rolls-Royce, Tech, World