Hydrogen propulsion pioneer ZeroAvia is taking a new approach to ground testing the 600-kW powertrain it is developing for 19-seat aircraft. At its headquarters in Hollister, California, the startup company is using a 15-ton HyperTruck as a platform for ground trials of the system.
The truck, which is based on a heavy-duty military vehicle, has been configured with the powertrain and propellers installed on a special rig to pull it along a stretch of tarmac. The HyperTruck will also be able to accommodate ground testing of ZeroAvia’s 2 MW+ ZA-2000 powertrain that is expected to be able to power 40- to 80-seat hydrogen-electric regional airliners.
ZeroAvia recently bought two 19-seat Dornier 228s that it will use for flight testing the 600-kW powertrain. One of these will be based in California and the other at Kemble, UK, where the company is participating in the government-backed HyFlyer II project to contribute to the country’s objective of achieving zero carbon air transport by 2050.
Test flights are expected to begin in September. The HyFlyer II program is expected to result in a means to convert aircraft with between 10 and 20 seats to hydrogen-electric propulsion.
“The Hollister testing is a significant milestone for our new HyperTruck testbed and ZA-600 that also confirms the operation of our next-generation control system and software,” said Gabe DeVault, ZeroAvia’s head of testing and applications. “Our U.S. team is excited to support the important work of our colleagues in the UK and ultimately scaling up our proven hydrogen fuel cell integration for larger commercial engines, which the HyperTruck supports.”
Meanwhile, ZeroAvia CEO Val Miftahhov was recently selected to become a member of the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association’s board of directors. The organization is a fuel cell industry association that strives to promote the environmental and economic benefits of fuel cell and hydrogen energy technologies.
