A Siemens electric propulsion system powered an Extra 330LE aerobatic plane to two new speed records. Both flights took place at the Dinslaken Schwarze Heide airfield in Germany and were piloted by aircraft designer Walter Extra.

On March 23, 2017, the plane broke the speed record set in 2013 by flying 337.5 kilometers per hour for aWorld's first aerotow with an electric plane. Credit: Jean-Marie Urlacher distance of three kilometers. The World Air Sports Federation (FAI) officially recognized the record in the “Electric airplanes with a take-off weight less than 1,000 kilograms” class. A slightly-modified configuration of the Extra set a speed record in the over 1,000 kilogram class, when pilot Walter Kampsmann flew at 342.86 km/hour.

The Extra 330LE became the first electric aircraft to tow a glider in the sky on March 24. The aircraft achieved this feat by towing a type LS8-neoo glider to a height of 600 meters in 76 seconds.

The Siemens propulsion system completed its maiden flight in July 2016. The lightweight motor supplies a constant electric output of 260 kilowatts, five times more than comparable systems.

Although the Extra 330LE is not a production aircraft, Siemens and Airbus plan to develop regional aircraft using a hybrid-electric propulsion system. "By 2030, we expect to see the first planes carrying up to 100 passengers and having a range of about 1,000 kilometers," explained Frank Anton, head of eAircraft for Siemens venture capital.