INTERVIEW: H55’s Andre Borschberg on Safety, Certification and the Reality of Electric Flight

Adhering to H55’s statement the other day (Monday), eVTOL Insights Managing Editor Jason Pritchard was offered the possibility to talk to the business’s founder André Borschberg, that spoke even more regarding the current landmark in its battery qualification program, why safety and security has to come prior to rate and exactly how cooperation will certainly specify the future of electrical and hybrid air travel.

–/

As component of its examination project, H55 generated greater than 100 examination write-ups attracted from its authorized and investigated item setup.

The six-month initiative covered ecological, safety and security, practical, and efficiency problems under worst-case failing settings, consisting of authority-witnessed thermal runaway examinations without breeding. Jointly, these outcomes verify preparedness for qualification and commercial implementation, consisting of:

• Conclusion of the qualification advocate propulsion battery components
• Verification that H55 continues to be the only organisation holding both EASA Layout Organisation Authorization (DOA) and Manufacturing Organisation Authorization (POA) for electrical propulsion systems
• Manufacturing of series-manufacturing-conforming propulsion battery components
• Conclusion of the very first EASA-validated cell characterisation advocate qualified propulsion battery systems
• The safety and security shown throughout screening finished in December 2025 is currently being recorded right into last examination records, which H55 is sending to EASA for official approval in Q1 2026

After 7 years of extensive advancement and screening, Borschberg thinks its job might aid open the following stage of electrical air travel.

” We began handling electrical planes at Solar Impulse,” Borschberg discussed, referencing the historical solar-powered trip around the globe finished in 2016. “Yet afterwards success, we chose to proceed establishing this innovation with a solid concentrate on 2 points: qualification and safety and security.”

According to Borschberg, the battery continues to be one of the most important, and the majority of difficult, component of electrical and hybrid airplane.

” Whatever service you select, completely electrical, crossbreed, or perhaps gas cell, the battery is constantly there,” he claimed. “And it’s one of the most tough component to regulate, due to the fact that it’s where the highest possible dangers are, specifically when it concerns fire.”

7 years to get to qualification preparedness

By finishing this regulator-approved propulsion battery component examination project, H55 states it has actually materially lowered the main restraint that establishes which electrical air travel modern technologies can commercialise. Official presentation of control under worst-case failing situations materially minimizes regulative and insurance coverage direct exposure, opening repeatable, certifiable implementation throughout airplane programs, while making certain aircraft-level safety and security.

With this success, H55 is transitioning from recognition to range. A solitary, certifiable Power Storage space System design can currently be released throughout numerous systems, permitting qualification proof to substance as earnings prospective expands without symmetrical rises in advancement price, sustaining repeatable implementation throughout fleets and airplane lifecycles instead of one-off program distributions.

H55’s recently verified battery pack has actually been made at first for Component 23 fixed-wing airplane, commonly seating in between 2 and 19 guests. The qualification project needed not just a totally mature item, yet additionally a production-ready production line, something Borschberg states is typically undervalued throughout the market.

” You can not accredit a model,” he specified. “You need to accredit something that is currently in manufacturing. That suggests you should completely establish the item and the assembly line prior to you also begin the qualification examinations.”

That truth, he included, discusses why the procedure took 7 years.

” You never ever are successful the very first time. We had numerous versions prior to reaching this factor,” Borschberg claimed. “Yet today, we have a battery pack that is very risk-free for air travel.”

A various method to fire safety and security

Among one of the most noteworthy elements of H55’s innovation is its method to thermal runaway and fire control. While numerous suppliers intend to include fires at the battery component degree, H55 selected an extra granular method.

” Many people attempt to include fire within the battery component,” Borschberg discussed. “That suggests whatever inside the component can shed. As a pilot, I would certainly not be really happy to have a titanium box behind me getting to 1,000 levels.”

Rather, H55 concentrated on consisting of failings at the private cell degree.

” We purposely cause cells to shed and after that show that there is no breeding,” he claimed. “To do that, you require a really deep understanding of cell habits– billed, uncharged, blowing up, shedding. It’s very intricate.”

This viewpoint, he thinks, is basic to making electrical air travel practical at range.

” Fire control is important for all applications,” Borschberg claimed. “If you obtain that right, you develop the structure for safety and security.”

Fixed-wing initially, eVTOL following

While much interest in Advanced Air Wheelchair is concentrated on eVTOL airplane, Borschberg sees fixed-wing air travel as the sensible beginning factor for qualified electrical trip.

” A fixed-wing airplane is less complex to accredit,” he kept in mind. “Particularly when you take a currently licensed airplane and customize it with electrical propulsion.”

H55 is presently functioning carefully with suppliers and drivers– consisting of in the flight-training industry– to sustain very first qualifications and distributions as early as following year in both Europe and the United States.

” For us, the concern currently is to aid suppliers accredit their airplane utilizing our innovation,” Borschberg claimed. “We’re not simply establishing systems– we have actually been flying electrical airplane considering that 2009. That experience is important.”

He included that information collected from qualified basic air travel airplane will certainly play an essential duty in opening extra intricate systems.

” This will certainly aid authorities obtain self-confidence,” he claimed. “If you intend to bring huge lithium battery systems onto transportation airplane, you should verify– with genuine information– that they are risk-free.”

Partnership over upright combination

Looking throughout the bigger electrical and eVTOL landscape, Borschberg thinks the market is starting to reassess very early presumptions around upright combination.

” Numerous tasks attempted to do whatever themselves– cells, batteries, electric motors, trip controls,” he observed. “That was reasonable initially, due to the fact that there were couple of skilled providers.”

Yet he inquiries whether that method is lasting.

” The job is tremendous. It takes excessive money and time, and it’s really tough to be the very best at whatever,” Borschberg claimed. “I think extra business are recognizing that partnering with professionals is the faster course ahead.”

H55, he wishes, can play a main duty because community.

” The battery will certainly continue to be a core component of electrical and hybrid airplane,” he claimed. “By systematizing this component and bringing qualified options, we can aid increase the whole market.”

As electrical air travel proceeds its slow-moving yet constant development towards industrial truth, Borschberg continues to be both sensible and positive.

” We have actually all been irritated by the rate,” he confessed. “Yet reaching this landmark is a large action– and I genuinely think it can aid relocate the market ahead.”

The message INTERVIEW: H55’s Andre Borschberg on Safety, Certification and the Reality of Electric Flight showed up initially on eVTOL Insights.

The message INTERVIEW: H55’s Andre Borschberg on Safety, Certification and the Reality of Electric Flight showed up initially on eVTOL Insights.