On June 24, the firm’s “first-of-its-kind” hydrogen-electric, vertical takeoff and landing (hVTOL) demonstrator completed a 532 sm (462 nm) flight—about the distance between San Francisco and San Diego—above Marina, California, home to the Joby’s test facility and pilot production line. The aircraft landed with more than 10 percent of its hydrogen fuel remaining, with water the only byproduct of the flight.

Joby believes the test, which included a vertical take off and landing, represented the first forward flight for a liquid hydrogen-powered eVTOL aircraft. The company said hydrogen is a key piece of its future plans.

“We’re excited to now be building a technology stack that could redefine regional travel using hydrogen-electric aircraft,” said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby. “Imagine being able to fly from San Francisco to San Diego, Boston to Baltimore, or Nashville to New Orleans, without the need to go to an airport and with no emissions except water. That world is closer than ever.”

The development signals a shift in Joby’s stated business philosophy, which before Thursday was centered around flying urban air mobility (UAM) routes within cities.

In a blog post penned by Bevirt and Raffaele Russo, business manager for new technologies at Joby, the company’s top brass said regional air mobility (RAM) is also on the agenda. The firm has alluded to a regional service before, but Thursday’s developments appear to confirm that one is in the works.

“Although the specific energy of batteries is improving, their weight will continue to limit the application of electric aircraft to short-distance travel,” the blog post reads. “To serve regional markets, we plan to use hydrogen to increase the potential range and payload of electric aircraft.”

Joby’s hydrogen-electric program builds on the technology developed by its subsidiary H2FLY, acquired in secret in 2021.

The manufacturer built the hydrogen-electric demonstrator by modifying one of its battery-electric aircraft, which has already flown more than 25,000 miles, with a hydrogen fuel tank capable of storing up to 40 kilograms of liquid, supercooled hydrogen. It includes a smaller battery cell, which provides extra power during takeoff and landing.

The design employs the same airframe and overall architecture as its battery-electric counterpart. It will use the same takeoff and landing sites and operations team, as well as ElevateOS—a proprietary, Uber-like software suite unveiled in June.

ElevateOS comprises a pilot app, rider app, operations suite, and matching system that connects riders with aircraft based on departure time, arrival time, and location. It includes an integration with the Uber app, allowing Uber customers to book Joby flights and vice versa.

The hydrogen-powered model also includes the H2F-175 hydrogen fuel cell, built by H2FLY, which produces electricity and heat with water as the sole byproduct. The fuel cell powers the aircraft’s six electric motors, which feed into tilting propellers that assist in both hover and forward flight, and charges the batteries while they are deactivated in cruise mode.

The technology was deployed about one year ago during a milestone H2FLY flight, which Joby claims was the first crewed flight of a hydrogen-electric aircraft with a runway takeoff.

According to Joby’s estimate, the hydrogen-electric model will have a greater payload than a battery-electric design or an aircraft using an equivalent amount of jet fuel.

Bevirt is also bullish on hydrogen production, pointing to the U.S. Department of Energy’s $7 billion investment in clean “hydrogen hubs.” He noted that hydrogen can be produced using a variety of low- or zero-emission sources such as wind or water power, which could help the aviation industry meet commitments to eliminate emissions by 2050.

“We recognize that broadly commercializing hydrogen will require doing the hard miles on regulation and infrastructure, along with fuel storage and distribution, but we have demonstrated that regional hydrogen-electric flight is possible today,” Bevirt and Russo wrote in Thursday’s blog post.

Bevirt said the bulk of the work Joby has done to certify its flagship, battery-electric air taxi will carry over to commercializing a hydrogen-electric variant. The company’s hydrogen-electric activities are supported by Agility Prime, the vertical lift technology division of the U.S. Air Force innovation arm, AFWERX.

“Agility Prime has been very supportive of hydrogen-powered aircraft development and testing as it aligns with the program’s goals to advance transformative vertical lift technologies and broader Department of Defense operational energy goals of energy substitution and diversification, and energy demand reduction,” said Jacob Wilson, acting branch chief of Agility Prime.

Joby is also collaborating with AFWERX’s Autonomy Prime division, which, as the name implies, develops self-flying aircraft.

The company in June acquired autonomous flight company Xwing for an undisclosed fee and intends to build a self-flying version of its flagship air taxi in the future, using Xwing’s Superpilot software. U.S. competitor Wisk Aero and Chinese eVTOL manufacturer EHang are among the handful of firms looking to fly autonomous air taxis at launch.

Joby aims to launch commercial operations with its flagship battery-electric air taxi in 2025, in partnership with Delta Air Lines. New York and Los Angeles are slated as the company’s first U.S. markets.

The aircraft is designed for a pilot to fly as many as four passengers on trips up to 100 sm (87 nm), cruising at 200 mph (174 knots). In the U.S., Joby will operate the model itself.

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The company showcased its Sirius CEO-Jet and Sirius Adventure Jet—the initial entrants into what it claims will be the first family of hydrogen-powered, zero-emission, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capable aircraft—on Thursday at the Move Expo in London.

The models will be powered by a hydrogen-electric powertrain and fuel tank—a propulsion system designed to extend flight time compared to fully electric models. Similar to the Lilium Jet, the aircraft will feature electric ducted fans embedded in fixed wings and canards to provide vertical lift.

Both the CEO-Jet and Adventure Jet are expected to emit less than 60 dBA of noise at a distance of 100 meters—about the volume of a typical conversation—using what Sirius describes as a “deflected vectored thrust” propulsion system. The company claims they will reduce noise by about 95 percent compared to helicopters.

The CEO-Jet, designed to seat three passengers, will serve the private business aviation segment, combining zero-emission flight with luxurious, customizable amenities.

The Adventure Jet, on the other hand, is designed primarily for passenger and cargo transport but can also handle medical evacuations, search and rescue, firefighting, surveillance, and offshore operations. It seats up to two pilots and as many as five passengers, with a maximum takeoff weight of about 7,700 pounds, handling point-to-point trips to remote destinations such as jungles or mountaintops. It will even have an inflatable pontoon, allowing it to glide over water.

The latter design comes equipped with GPS, Doppler radar, very high frequency (VHF) and ultra high frequency (UHF) radio, and a digital autopilot system capable of hover and approach.

“The CEO-JET offers an eco-friendly option for business travel, while the Adventure Jet opens new horizons for global tourism and exploration,” said Alexey Popov, CEO of Sirius.

Founded in 2021, Sirius set out to design an aircraft that could combine the aerodynamics of an airplane with the versatility of a helicopter. The concept for a family of hydrogen-powered business jets first emerged in January, and the company shared more information in the weeks leading up to Move Expo.

The Sirius Jet’s calling card is its propulsion system—a hydrogen-electric powertrain that energizes 28 electric ducted fans, 20 embedded in the wings and eight mounted in the canard. Together with a pressurized cabin, these fans are designed to help the aircraft reach an altitude of 30,000 feet.

The fans are linked individually to one of 28 electric motors, each weighing about 21 pounds and containing a proprietary thermal management system. Air drawn through the jet’s intake passes through a cooling system and into onboard liquid hydrogen tanks. It is then channeled to a fuel cell stack, which has a high weight-to-power density ratio ideal for storing hydrogen.

Within the fuel cell, hydrogen and oxygen react to create water and electricity, the latter of which is directed to a set of battery packs that power the electric motors. The packs recharge during flight, are active for only 90 seconds per flight cycle, and do not need to be replaced, Sirius says. Water, a byproduct, is released through the exhaust valve.

By Sirius’ estimate, it would cost only $500 to fully refill the fuel tank. The company further claims the propulsion system makes its aircraft more efficient than electric VTOL (eVTOL) counterparts.

The Lilium Jet, for example, has a range of about 155 sm (135 nm); the Sirius CEO-Jet will max out at around 1,150 sm (1,000 nm), while the Adventure Jet can reach that range using its additional fuel tanks. Further, the CEO-Jet’s cruise speed and Adventure Jet’s top speed—323 mph (280 knots)—is more than double the Lilium Jet’s (155 mph, or 135 knots).

A potential CEO-Jet network in the U.S. could encompass New York City, Chicago, Kansas City, Missouri, New Orleans, and Miami. The Adventure Jet, meanwhile, could connect San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Phoenix. According to Sirius, the network would offer “a 4-[time] improvement in travel efficiency compared to conventional methods” such as car or traditional airplane.

At the same time, the hydrogen-powered aircraft are billed as offering the luxury of a conventional business jet. Customers have the option, for example, to customize interior colors, upholstery, amenities—including champagne fridges, custom bathrooms, art installations, and kitchens—lighting, and flooring materials such as marble, hardwood, or carpet. Passengers can even pick the scent they smell when they enter the aircraft.

Both models are equipped with an airframe parachute system that deploys automatically in case of emergency, which Sirius claims reduces risk to “virtually zero.”

Sirius hopes to set up serial manufacturing and obtain certification for the Sirius Jet family before 2028. Next year, it expects to complete an inaugural flight using a demonstration plane and open sales of 50 business jets, with deliveries beginning in 2028. By the end of the decade, it intends to launch a shuttle network across the Americas, European Union, and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

So far, Sirius has received an order from Indian seaplane operator Mehair for 50 Adventure Jets plus 50 options, with another from Indonesian tourism firm Parq Development for five CEO-Jets and Adventure Jets apiece.

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The aircraft concepts are part of Embraer’s Energia sustainability initiative launched last year, and include new propulsion technology on smaller aircraft.

“Guided by the company’s 50 year technical expertise, external inputs from airlines, and joint studies with engine OEMs, these two approaches to net-zero offer a technically realistic and economically feasible pathway to net-zero,” the company said in a statement.

• READ MORE: Embraer Introduces Line of ‘Green’ Airplanes

Last year, Embraer began studying four aircraft concepts that featured new technology and used renewable energy. Since that time, the company has evaluated different architectures and propulsion systems, according to Arjan Meijer, president and CEO for Embraer Commercial Aviation.

“I believe we have set bold but realistic goals for these concepts to come to market,” Meijer said.

Energia Hybrid E19-HE, E30-HE

Among the concepts Embraer is exploring is the Energia Hybrid E19-HE and E30-HE, the 19-seat and 30-seat variants.

According to the company, the aircraft features parallel hybrid-electric propulsion, up to 90 percent CO2 emissions reduction when using sustainable aviation fuel, 19 and 30 seat variants, and rear-mounted engines. The aircraft would reach technology readiness in the early 2030s, Embraer said.

The aircraft range is 500 nm, and carbon emissions would be slashed 90 percent with SAF, and by 30 percent with jet-A1, Embraer said. The parallel hybrid-electric propulsion comes with an additional environmental benefit: 60 percent lower external noise.

Energia Hydrogen Fuel Cell

Embraer’s Energia H2 Fuel Cell E19-H2FC and E30-H2FC variants feature hydrogen electric propulsion, zero CO2 emissions, 70 percent lower external noise, and rear-mounted electric engines. The aircraft range is at least 200 nm.

“As new propulsion technologies will be first applied on smaller aircraft, Embraer is in a unique position,”  said Luis Carlos Affonso, senior vice president of engineering, technology and corporate strategy at Embraer, in a statement. “The 19- and 30-seaters are sensible starting points for focused studies since they are likely to present earlier technical and economical readiness. While the challenges of net-zero are significant, in less than 25 years our commercial aircraft have already reduced fuel burn and CO2 emissions by almost 50 percent on a seat/mile basis, using only conventional fuels and propulsion—I’m convinced net-zero is a goal we can reach.”

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