ZeroAvia has reached consensus with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with an agreed and fully signed P-1 Special Conditions Issue Paper regarding certification of its 600-kW electric propulsion system (EPS).

The P-1 follows issuance of the FAA G-1 in February 2025 and documents the special conditions applicable to ZeroAvia’s novel electric propulsion technology to be addressed in the certification process with the U.S. regulator. Once the FAA’s Special Conditions rule is finalized and published in the Federal Register, the means of compliance for the innovative EPS meeting those conditions will be determined in the next certification stage. 

Progressing from the G-1 to the P-1 marks another milestone both on the journey toward certification of ZeroAvia’s EPS with the U.S. regulator, and also on the path toward certifying the company’s first fully H₂-electric powertrain with the UK Civil Aviation Authority. 

ZeroAvia’s 600-kW EPS combines the company’s proprietary inverter and electric motor technology to deliver a highly efficient electric engine with exceptional fault tolerance and specific power. The 600-kW EPS system comprises four ZeroAvia 200-kW continuous power bidirectional inverters converting DC power to AC to supply ZeroAvia’s direct drive motor, capable of 2,200 rpm.

ZeroAvia launched a component offering in May 2024 to serve the market for novel electric air transport applications. Potential applications for the 600-kW EPS include battery, hybrid and fuel cell electric fixed-wing aircraft, rotorcraft and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV’s).  

The electric propulsion system is one part of ZeroAvia’s deep portfolio of H₂ and electric aviation technology, resulting from the company’s strong commitment to vertical integration. ZeroAvia’s complete ZA600 H₂-electric powertrain, designed for up to 20-seat commercial aircraft, combines the EPS with a _H2 fuel cell power generation system (PGS).

ZeroAvia has already tested a prototype of the ZA600 H₂-electric engine aboard a Dornier 228 aircraft at its UK base. The company also has an engineering partnership with Textron Aviation as it looks to secure a supplemental type certificate for the Cessna Grand Caravan as the launch airframe for the ZA600. And in May, the company announced RVL Aviation as its UK launch customer for the world’s first H₂-electric commercial service route.