General Motors (GM) and Liebherr-Aerospace are joining forces to develop new hydrogen fuel cell technology for aircraft. The automotive group and the aircraft systems supplier today announced plans for an integrated system based on GM’s Hydrotec technology that they say will meet the performance requirements of commercial airliners.

Teams from the two companies will work together in a dedicated laboratory at Liebherr’s facility in Toulouse, France, to adapt the technology for aviation applications. They will produce a demonstrator unit that will incorporate GM’s fuel cells, a Hydrotec power cube, and a fuel cell system, along with controls and models developed by the U.S.-based carmaker.

The power cube is the basic propulsion unit that GM's Hydrotec fuel cells are organized into. Each cube consists of 306 precisely-crafted fuel cells, controls and supporting components that can be arrayed in two to three units per vehicle.

Liebherr has extensive experience in integrating complex systems into aircraft. The company is an established partner for Airbus, which is pursuing plans to bring hydrogen-powered airliners into service around 2035 through its Zero E program.

Nicolas Bonleux, Liebherr-Aerospace and Transportation's managing director and chief commercial officer, said that the work with GM is being conducted independently from any specific aircraft manufacturer, although he added that the partners are exploring collaboration opportunities with several airframers.

"Airliners are definitely one of the most promising applications in the field of aviation for this technology," he told FutureFlight. That said, Liebherr expects hydrogen propulsion to enter commercial service initially with smaller general aviation aircraft and eVTOL vehicles.

"We already know that weight and durability are parameters that substantially differ between automotive and aviation, and that we will have to work on those parameters," Bonleux explained. "Fortunately, GM's Hydrotec controls can be adapted to aircraft as well as terrestrial and undersea vehicles."

GM has been investing in fuel-cell technology for a couple of decades and believes it is ready to get these into high-volume production that would support new applications such as aviation. “Aircraft are a great litmus test for the strength and versatility of our Hydrotec fuel cells,” said GM’s Hydrotec global executive director Charlie Freese. “Our technology can address customer needs in a wide range of uses, on land, sea, air, or rail, and this collaboration with Liebherr could open up new possibilities for aircraft, transitioning to alternative energy power sources.”

According to Francis Carla, Liebherr-Aerospace’s managing director and chief technology officer, the envisaged switch to hydrogen-based electrical power generation systems will involve major systems modifications onboard aircraft and will result in more efficient overall performance. “The advantage of GM’s Hydrotec fuel-cell technology is that it has shown promise in extensive automotive and military programs, where it has shown to be reliable from the engineering and manufacturing perspectives.”

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