Ampaire’s hybrid-electric engine gets closer to FAA approval

Hybrid-electric propulsion startup Ampaire is getting closer to certification for its AMP-H570 system after receiving a G-1 Issue Paper from the FAA establishing the approval format for it. The issue paper serves as a guideline for identifying and resolving technical, regulatory and administrative issues throughout the certification process, Ampaire co-founder and Chief Executive Kevin Noertker told Cargo Facts . [caption id="attachment_57288833" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Ampaire has fitted its propulsion system to both the Electric EEL testbed aircraft and the Eco Caravan. (Courtesy/Ampaire)[/caption] It means that the FAA has agreed to the certification basis for Long Beach, Calif.-based Ampaire’s AMP-H570 AMP Drive hybrid-electric propulsion system, which remains on course for certification in 2026. “Once the certification basis is agreed upon, Ampaire can use it to design and test the propulsion system under known regulatory criteria,” Noertker said. To fulfill the requirements, Ampaire will develop protocols that include standard operating procedures (SOPs) for safe operation, maintenance and integration of the system, he said. The evaluation and refinement of SOPs normally occur in the later stages of the certification process during the compliance demonstration and operational suitability assessment. It could take at least eighteen months for Ampaire to obtain FAA approval and begin commercial production of the AMP-H570 hybrid-electric propulsion system, Noertker said. Ampaire is working toward the G-2 Issue Paper with the FAA, which will establish the means of compliance for certification, the company said in a release today. The certification timeline aligns with Ampaire’s projected approval of its Eco Caravan , a Cessna Grand Caravan fitted with the AMP-H570 that completed its first test flight in 2022. The company will launch full-scale production of the AMP-H570 at its Long Beach (LGB) facility, which opened in 2024, and is evaluating options to expand production of the hybrid powerplant, Noertker said. From concept to certification Noertker and Ampaire co-founder Corey Combs designed the AMP-H570 AMP Drive hybrid-electric propulsion system concept in 2016. It has performance capabilities that are similar to the Pratt & Whitney PT-6 engine while reducing fuel burn by 50% to 70%, according to the company. The AMP Drive system features the latest in green technology, including a solid-state breaker designed by the Illinois Institute of Technology, a silicon carbide inverter based on research at the University of Arkansas, and a flying capacitor converter from the University of California Berkeley. After launching its hybrid-electric propulsion system in 2019, Ampaire installed the AMP-H570 into its Electric EEL testbed aircraft and completed a twelve-hour flight across 1,400 statute miles on Dec. 12, 2023. In addition to supporting the Eco Caravan, the AMP-H570 could propel the San Francisco-based Magpie MP-1 electric turboprop freighter that Ampaire acquired in the first quarter of 2024, and extend the range of the 300-nautical-mile aircraft, Noertker previously told Cargo Facts . Ampaire’s customer backlog for the Eco Caravan includes Brazil-based Azul subsidiary Azul Conecta, which placed an order for up to six units in 2023. The hybrid-electric propulsion developer also signed a memorandum of understanding with Air France Industries KLM Engineering and Maintenance in 2022 to explore electric aircraft. See all the coverage of Cargo Facts EMEA 2025 .

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