ZeroAvia today announced that it has been awarded $4.2 million in US federal funding through the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Fueling Aviation’s Sustainable Transition discretionary grant program for Low-Emission Aviation Technology (FAST Tech). The grant will support ZeroAvia’s work to further develop and validate its electric propulsion system designed for 2-5 megawatt powertrain applications.

The research and development work will take place in ZeroAvia’s Everett, WA, propulsion center of excellence and will advance the design, fabrication, and testing of its proprietary electric motor and inverter toward eventual certification and commercial deployment.

The work will build on ZeroAvia’s HyperCore stackable motor, previously ground-tested at the Everett facility, as well as its silicon-carbide inverters. It will complement other ZeroAvia R&D projects in the UK focused on industry-leading High Temperature PEM (HTPEM) fuel cells to unlock hydrogen-electric engines for 40-80 seat aircraft.

Val Miftakhov, Founder and CEO, 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.”