Joby Aviation says a powered by hydrogen its electric vertical takeoff and landing version (eVTOL) aircraft successfully completed a 523-mile test flight. The only byproduct of the prototype, which had a liquid hydrogen fuel cell and hydrogen-electric propulsion system, was water vapor. The company suggested the test flight points to the future of zero-emissions regional aviation in an industry that still relies heavily on fossil fuels.
It is believed to be the first eVTOL forward flight powered by liquid hydrogen. Joby kept the same shell and most of its battery with electricity air taxi however, he reduced the battery load and installed a fuel tank capable of holding up to 40 kilograms of liquid hydrogen. This is injected into a fuel cell system to produce electricity, water and heat. Electricity from the fuel cell powers the air taxi’s six electric motors, while batteries provide additional power during takeoff and landing.
Joby is ready In 2025, it will start commercial operation of its air taxi. Although the eVTOL does not need a runway, it is limited to a range of 100 miles before recharging, making it a good choice for short hops. your home to the airport. If a hydrogen-powered model ever goes into production, it could result in zero-emission intercity aviation faster than traveling by road or traditional airplanes. Refueling a hydrogen-powered air taxi will be faster than refueling an eVTOL.
“Imagine being able to fly from San Francisco to San Diego, from Boston to Baltimore or from Nashville to New Orleans, all without going to the airport and leaving no waste except water,” said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby said in the statement. “That world is closer than ever, and the progress we’ve made toward certifying a battery-electric version of our aircraft gives us a great head start as we look forward to making hydrogen-electric flight a reality.”
One of the main obstacles in realizing this vision is getting enough continuously sourced liquid hydrogen. whom Inc. notes that this was a major factor preventing Universal Hydrogen, a now closed beginning, from finding success. That company and ZeroAvia test flights are over hydrogen-powered aircraft in the past few years.
However, Bevirt is confident that there will be sufficient support from governments for the supply and distribution of hydrogen and green hydrogen. USA allocated 7 billion dollars Establish green hydrogen hubs across the country under the Bilateral Infrastructure Act. “The world is transitioning to a hydrogen economy, and aviation is one of the most important use cases for green hydrogen supply,” said Bevirt Inc.
