Sustainable Transition Discretionary Grant Supports Development

ZeroAvia has been awarded a $4.2 million grant from the FAA to support further development and validation of its electric propulsion system, the company announced.

The funding will come from the Inflation Reduction Act through the FAA’s Fueling Aviation’s Sustainable Transition discretionary grant program for Low-Emission Aviation Technology (FAST Tech). The R&D will be done in ZeroAvia’s Everett, Washington, propulsion center on design, fabrication, and testing of its proprietary electric motor and inverter with the goal to achieve certification and commercialization for 2-5 megawatt powertrains. The work will extend ZeroAvia’s HyperCore stackable motor, which has been tested in the Everitt facility, as well as its silicon-carbide inverter.

Val Miftakhov, Founder and CEO of ZeroAvia said, “The FAA is investing in hydrogen and electric propulsion as part of the future for aviation, and our technology is well-positioned to help advance this critical pathway. ZeroAvia appreciates the agency’s recognition of our ability to conduct this important research and development work on electric propulsion systems. This award demonstrates the value of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act in decarbonizing aviation and complements the hydrogen-forward provisions in the recent FAA Reauthorization, both of which are strong indications that US leadership shares our vision of a clean future of flight.”

ZeroAvia is focused on hydrogen-electric engines powered by hydrogen fuel cells. It has submitted for certification its first powertrain for aircraft with up to 20 seats.

FMI:  zeroavia.com/