H2Fly Prepares for More Hydrogen-electric Flight Tests

H2Fly is preparing to resume flight demonstrations with its hybrid-electric propulsion technology in 2026 or 2027 as it seeks to transition from research work to technology partnerships that could result in market-ready applications. The German company’s CEO, Ralph Müller, told AIN that his engineering team is also working on proof of concepts for a variety of key components as it seeks to scale up the equipment it first demonstrated in September 2023.

As a wholly-owned subsidiary of eVTOL developer Joby Aviation, H2Fly appears to have deep enough pockets to play a long game. “On the one hand, we are financed for a couple of years, so we don’t need [immediate] external revenue and we can focus on making the base for commercial success,” Müller explained. “On the other hand, we have made strong moves with our business acumen and are screening the market to [identify] who are the [most viable] electric aircraft airframers and reach out to them asking how we can support them.”

At the same time, H2Fly is supporting its parent company’s ambitions to explore beyond the limitations of current battery-electric technology. In July, Joby appears to have flown a hydrogen-powered uncrewed aerial system (UAS) in Oregon, 12 months after a confirmed 523-mile flight with a hydrogen-powered demonstrator version of its four-passenger eVTOL aircraft.

Apart from picking winners in a market segment that has seen some notable business failures this year, H2Fly’s leadership team is intently focused on the steps that now need to be taken to deliver a competitive product. “The first question is where does hydrogen electric propulsion make sense and when do batteries make sense,” Müller explained. “The useful market is anywhere between 30 to 50 kilowatts and 1 megawatt. We ask whether the system is scalable [for each use case] and where the technology gaps are that need to be closed.”

Varied Early Use Cases in the Frame

The conversations H2Fly is now having with prospective airframing partners span not only eVTOL and UAS vehicles, but also electric conventional takeoff and landing aircraft for passenger and cargo transportation, up to the size of a regional airliner. The company is seeking to resolve how the technology would perform at different altitudes and across a spectrum of operating conditions.

Technology challenges still in question are around power density and the inevitable trade-offs between power/weight and propulsion efficiency. Lessons learned from the models H2Fly has built and tested so far have pointed to the need to have the right critical components and, where these cannot be provided by suppliers, it has resolved to develop these in-house. These include fuel cells, heat exchangers, valves, and hydrogen tanks.

Müller, who has been in the job for 12 months now, said that if all goes well, H2Fly expects to be announcing some substantial partnerships around the middle of 2026. It is also expanding its human resources and expects to increase the workforce by around 20% over the next few months.

The company still believes early use cases could be ready to start commercial operations from 2030, although there are uncertainties around which business cases will proceed and which new aircraft will be prioritized for certification by regulators. “This is not up to H2Fly, but we will support the manufacturers and, from the perspective of maturity and understanding the requirements, we are ready for certification,” Müller concluded. “If we have another two years of tests and then start type certification, then 2030 is possible, and perhaps even earlier for uncrewed systems.”