Urban Aeronautics has signed an agreement with HyPoint to advance the incorporation of hydrogen fuel cell power in its CityHawk eVTOL design.

Urban, which is pioneering the next generation of eVTOL aircraft for commercial air taxi and air rescue roles, and HyPoint, a leader in next generation, high power (HTPEM) hydrogen fuel cell systems, will explore the development of an advanced version of Urban Aeronautics' CityHawk eVTOL powered by HyPoint's hydrogen fuel cell stack technology. As currently designed, CityHawk relies on hybrid propulsion.

CityHawk is a six-seat eVTOL, with a compact footprint and no external wings or rotors. Its small footprint/high payload configuration is optimised for urban transportation and emergency response. The rotor-less, wingless design offers enhanced safety and unrestricted mobility with unique ‘fly anywhere, land anywhere’ door-to-door transportation capability. It features internal rotor Fan-craft technology, which utilises powerful ducted fans in combination with innovative aerodynamic technologies that result in superior control, stability, speed, safety, noise reduction and sustainability.

“We look forward to collaborating with HyPoint on the integration of the next generation of hydrogen fuel cell systems for eVTOL transportation and the urban air mobility market,” says Rafi Yoeli, CEO of Urban Aeronautics. “As a high-power, 100 percent environmentally friendly fuel, hydrogen is key to the future of eVTOL aircraft.”

HyPoint's hydrogen fuel cell design features zero carbon emissions and superior energy performance through higher specific power and practical output power capacity. The company's new turbo-air cooled fuel cells increase the lifespan of hydrogen powertrains from 5,000 to 20,000 hours, and only take a few minutes to refuel, representing a significant improvement over existing systems.

“We were very impressed with the next generation of flying vehicles being developed by Urban Aeronautics, as well as its commitment to hydrogen power, and we look forward to working with them on this exciting project,” says Alex Ivanenko, founder and CEO of HyPoint.