• 13 Jul 2025 12:29 AM
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Electric VTOL News, July/August 2025

Here’s our roundup of news on battery-electric, hybrid-electric and hydrogen-electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft from our Electric VTOL Newsletter. More than 1,100 eVTOL aircraft have been catalogued to date in the VFS World eVTOL Aircraft Directory (www.eVTOL.news/aircraft), with new aircraft added after every unveiling. Check it out for more information on each of the advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft described here or to subscribe to our newsletter. (Note: All photos are courtesy of the respective companies unless otherwise stated.)

Diamond Joins Hydrogen Group

On April 29, Diamond Aircraft Group Austria announced it will lead a group of companies on a project called H2EDT to research gaseous hydrogen aircraft fuel using funds from the Austrian Research Promotion Agency. The project will design and build a hybrid hydrogen-electric testbed through the end of 2025 at Diamond’s Wiener Neustadt facilities. The testbed fuselage (shown) will include a hydrogen fuel cell and storage system, along with sets of independent batteries and up to 10 electric motors and propellers. Diamond is a subsidiary of China-based Wanfeng and is integrating Volocopter following Diamond’s purchase of the German eVTOL developer in March. The Austrian airframer may follow H2EDT by pursuing hydrogen-powered versions of its DA40 and DA42 airplanes.

CustomCells Files for Insolvency

On April 30, German battery developer CustomCells filed for insolvency proceedings following the bankruptcy of German aircraft developer Lilium, one of its largest customers. The battery developer was unable to find new investors to compensate for “the tens of millions of euros” previously owed by Lilium. Employee wages and salaries are secured through June while the company seeks investors. The insolvency would be a setback for electric car and aircraft developers, including Væridion, which agreed to partner with CustomCells on battery technology in 2023.

XTI and VerdeGo Collaborate on Propulsion

On May 13, Colorado-based XTI Aerospace and propulsion developer VerdeGo Aero announced a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to partner on hybrid-electric aircraft propulsion, including for the XTI TriFan 600, a fixed-wing “vertical lift crossover airplane” originally designed as a shaftdriven VTOL aircraft. Florida-based VerdeGo’s powertrains include the VH-3-185, VH-4T (shown) and VH-5, which span the 185-kW to 1.5-MW output range (see “Here Come the Hybrids!” Vertiflite, March/April 2025).

Sora Aviation Books Korean Orders, Sophrodyne Partnership

On May 15, UK developers Sora Aviation and Sophrodyne Aerospace announced a partnership for the latter to consult on aerodynamics design for Sora’s 30-seat, battery-electric S-1 aircraft. The collaboration will use Sophrodyne’s predictive computational models and will focus on areas including the unsteady aerodynamic interactions between the propulsors and airframes during the transition from vertical to forward flight. On March 10, Sora booked 20 preorders for S-1s from South Korean operator Moviation, which signed an MoU to explore urban air mobility route options in that nation. Founded in April 2023, Sora plans for airport shuttle flights to be the initial market for its tandem-wing S-1 with six tilting propellers.

Horizon Flies Cavorite With Full-Wing Transition

On May 15, Horizon Aircraft announced the completion of a full-wing transition flight of its hybrid-electric Cavorite X demonstrator (shown) to wing-borne flight and back again with its “fan-in-wing” propulsion fully closed (not shown) during the transition. Horizon, in 2026, aims to follow up with test flights of a full-scale demonstrator (see “Horizon Bets on Extended Range,” Vertiflite, May/June 2025). The final Cavorite X7 production aircraft would have a range of nearly 500 miles (800 km) and be capable of both eVTOL and short takeoff and landing (STOL) flights.

AMSL Aero Plans Hydrogen Test Flights by 2026

On May 26, Australian developer AMSL Aero marked a year of hydrogen testing at Bankstown Airport near Sydney with its 100-kW hydrogen fuel-cell powertrain for its Vertiia aircraft. The testbed used 440 lb (200 kg) of hydrogen during the year of tests. Over three weeks, Vertiia provided 30 kW of electricity to the airport power grid, cutting the airport’s power bill by nearly 2 MWh. In November, AMSL operated the first flight (uncrewed) of the battery-powered demonstrator for its Vertiia prototype and has since conducted more than 100 untethered flights. The developer aims to test fly a hydrogen-powered demonstrator by 2026. Prospective customers include Aviation Logistics, which has committed to purchase 20 Vertiia for its subsidiaries Air Link, AirMed and Chartair.

Moya Aero Unveils Cargo Drone Aircraft

On June 2, Brazil-based Moya Aero announced its strategy for an electric-drone family, consisting of two uncrewed aircraft models that share electric architecture for interoperability across a range of missions. These include the Moya 256 that is undergoing test flights and has a projected range of 100 miles (160 km). The Moya 760 prototype in development would carry a 200-lb (90-kg) payload for up to 118 miles (190 km). Moya aims for these aircraft to enter service by 2027.