Horizon Aircraft and ZeroAvia Announce Plans to Explore Hydrogen eVTOL Propulsion

Announcement represents Horizon Aircraft’s first step towards zero-emission regional air travel with a focus on real-world implementation

ZeroAvia and Horizon Aircraft – an advanced aerospace engineering company and developer of one of the world’s first hybrid eVTOL (electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing) aircraft – today announced plans to work together on developing regional hydrogen-electric VTOL air travel.

Together, the companies will cooperate on exploring ZeroAvia’s ZA600 hydrogen-electric powertrain for Horizon Aircraft’s Cavorite X7 eVTOL.

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The Cavorite X7’s unique fan-in-wing design incorporates 14 lift fans providing the thrust for vertical takeoff, with sliding panels which hide the fans as the aircraft transitions from hover to wing-borne flight and flies like a normal plane. For landing, it can use a normal runway, or the fans can be deployed to touchdown on a helipad, or an area the size of a tennis court.

Horizon Aircraft has already performed untethered flight tests of a large-scale prototype, including demonstrating hover modes and transition to wing-borne flight. The company has received backing from the U.S. Department of Defense and approvals for flight testing from the Canadian regulator.

As well as investigating the integration of ZeroAvia’s powertrain, the partnership will accelerate research into the necessary infrastructure and certification guidelines to unlock a zero-emission pathway for Horizon Aircraft.

Val Miftakhov, Founder & CEO, ZeroAvia said:

"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. Horizon Aircraft has developed an exciting application and performed successful prototype testing, and they are taking another leadership step in exploring hydrogen as a potential propulsion option for the Cavorite X7."

Brandon Robinson, CEO and Co-founder at Horizon Aircraft, said:

"We are a company that continues to focus on what is best for operators of our aircraft. We have been impressed with ZeroAvia’s recent flight demonstrations of hydrogen-electric propulsion systems and the company’s traction with regulators. 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."

The planned collaboration with ZeroAvia represents an innovative move forward for Horizon Aircraft as it considers all operational and practical technologies. The company is developing strong aerospace partnerships while building momentum towards certification and commercial readiness.

For more information about Horizon Aircraft, please visit the company’s website or watch its innovative technology in action on the company’s YouTube channel.

About ZeroAvia

ZeroAvia is leading the transition to a clean future of flight by developing electric propulsion technologies for aviation to unlock lower costs and emissions, cleaner air, reduced noise, energy independence and increased connectivity. The company is developing hydrogen-electric (fuel cell-powered) engines for existing commercial aircraft segments and also supplying hydrogen and electric propulsion component technologies for novel electric air transport applications (including battery, hybrid and fuel cell powered electric fixed-wing aircraft, novel eVTOL designs, rotorcraft and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles).  ZeroAvia has submitted its first full engine for up to 20-seat planes for certification and is working on a larger powertrain for 40–80-seat aircraft, with significant flight test and regulatory milestones achieved with the U.S. FAA and UK CAA.