Airbus backs Air Race E

Aeronautics company Airbus has been unveiled as a sponsor of Air Race E, the world’s first electric airplane race, ahead of the launch of its inaugural series next year.

Airbus has signed a global partnership with Air Race E and will serve as its Official Founding Partner.

As part of the agreement, Airbus will work alongside existing Air Race E partners, including the University of Nottingham, which is currently developing a prototype race airplane that will help shape the model and rules for the inaugural competition.

The new competition will seek to drive the development and adoption of cleaner, faster and more technologically-advanced electric engines. Air Race E will see eight electric-powered planes race directly against each other on a 5km circuit, just 10 metres above the ground.

Air Race E chief executive Jeff Zaltman said: “This partnership is a significant milestone in the evolution of electric power in aviation. Together, we’re working to create a mainstream platform in which innovation in electric propulsion can be developed, nurtured, and accelerated more rapidly.”