Magnix Announces Hydrogen Propulsion Development

At the NBAA-BACE 2022 aviation conference in Orlando, Florida earlier this month, electric aircraft propulsion developer Magnix announced that it will now begin developing hydrogen fuel-cell propulsion solutions in addition to its current hybrid and all-electric propulsion programs.

Above: An image of eViation’s Alice 9-passenger electric aircraft in its first flight, powered by two of Magnix‘s 650-kilowatt electric motors

Magnix has been working on becoming a global leader in electric aircraft propulsion systems for several years. A first major announcement came from the company in 2020, when it flew a fully-electric modified Cessna Grand Caravan, making it the largest all-electric aircraft ever to take flight at the time. Since then, the company has made massive strides by partnering with Harbour Air to create the world’s first all-electric airline, and also by partnering with Eviation, Blade Air Mobility, and even with Surf Air.

Since its inception, Magnix has worked hard to branch out its offerings for zero-emission propulsion, already having announced several iterations of its all-electric and hybrid-electric units. Now, the company has also announced development of hydrogen fuel-cell power production units, likely to be paired with its electric motors for many aircraft.

Said MagniX CEO Nuno Taborda, “The future of sustainable aviation will require a mix of solutions. We are bringing our experience and expertise to advance hydrogen fuel cell technology, which will enable us to power even more aircraft.”

Simon Roads, MagniX’s head of marketing, commented: “We’re very focused on battery development, and we’re also very focused on hydrogen fuel cell development. We’re very focused on battery development, and we’re also very focused on hydrogen fuel cell development.”

Above: Testing a hydrogen fuel-cell aircraft propulsion system

Why it’s important: With this latest announcement, Magnix continues to push forward its breadth of zero-emissions propulsion offerings. Through doing so, the company further solidifies its place as a solid and well-versed provider of these products. As the demand for zero-emissions aviation propulsion rises, more and more aircraft developers will be looking for partners like Magnix, even further growing this new company’s standing in the global propulsion market.

Sources // Magnix, FutureFlight, eViation

Related:

• Eviation’s first all-electric airplane takes flight (September 2022)
• Blade Partners with magniX for Electrification of Lima Cessnas (May 2021)
• Harbour Air Completes First All-Electric Powered Flight (December 2019)
• Australian Airline Skytrans Partners with Stralis for Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Aircraft (July 2021)
• Plug Power Invests in Airflow’s eSTOL for Hydrogen Propulsion (October 2021)
• Airbus Focuses on Hydrogen Power for Flight (September 2021)