Natilus and ZeroAvia are to jointly develop a hydrogen-electric engine for the Natilus Kona cargo aircraft.
The partnership will "leverage" ZeroAvia;s expertise in hydrogen-electric powertrain technology with Natilus’ design "to create a scaleable, long-range, and zero-emission air cargo delivery solution for the entire industry", ZeroAvia announced on May 25, adding that its ZA600 "will be the sole hydrogen-electric propulsion source offered for the novel Kona short-haul feeder UAV".
"The Natilus-ZeroAvia partnership means "bringing the talents and innovations of the two companies together to deliver much needed innovation in the air cargo delivery industry and multiple solutions for our customers," said Aleksey Matyushev, co-founder and chief executive of Natilus.
“Given Natilus’ impressive order book and corresponding technology development, working together on integrating the ZA600 as a line-fit engine for Kona can multiply the emissions and costs benefits that are already interesting cargo operators," said Val Miftakhov, founder and chief executive of ZeroAvia.