Hydrogen-electric propulsion firm ZeroAvia has entered a partnership with Canada-based Horizon Aircraft to develop a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft powered by hydrogen, marking the latest step in expanding the application of ZeroAvia’s ZA600 engine.
The collaboration aims to integrate ZeroAvia’s ZA600 hydrogen-electric powertrain into Horizon’s Cavorite X7 aircraft, which features a fan-in-wing design with 14 lift fans for vertical takeoff. The fans retract during flight to enable wing-borne cruising, allowing for both vertical and conventional landing capabilities.
The ZA600 is a 600kW-class hydrogen-electric engine that uses compressed hydrogen fuel cell tanks to drive electric propulsion. Horizon said it has already completed flight tests of a large-scale prototype of the Cavorite X7, including hover modes and transition phases. The companies intend for the upgraded aircraft to be among the first hybrid eVTOLs capable of serving regional mobility markets.
“More and more eVTOL companies are looking to hydrogen-electric propulsion as the breakthrough that can extend range potential and durability of electric propulsion systems,” said Val Miftakhov, founder and CEO of ZeroAvia. “Horizon Aircraft has developed an exciting application and performed successful prototype testing.”
Brandon Robinson, cofounder and CEO of Horizon Aircraft, said the agreement reflects the company’s efforts to explore low-emissions solutions. “We are thankful for the opportunity to explore hydrogen solutions for the regional air mobility market which could develop into a viable solution to deliver clean, fast, and highly-efficient air travel,” he said.
The announcement comes as ZeroAvia expands its intellectual property portfolio. The company said it has secured nine new patents this year, most of which focus on hydrogen-electric engines, bringing its total to 45. It stated that the patents now cover all major subsystems of the engine and its aircraft integration.
The partnership follows a series of recent collaborations by ZeroAvia with commercial and regional aviation operators. In June, Scottish carrier Loganair announced plans to work with the company on adapting the ZA600 for its regional aircraft.