H55
{{Short description|Swiss aviation company.}}
{{Infobox company
| name = H55
| founded = 2017
| founder = André Borschberg, Sébastien Demont, and Gregory Blatt.
| hq_location_city = Sion
| hq_location_country = Switzerland
| area_served = Worldwide
| key_people = Aymeric Sallin, Martin Larose and Andy Sheehan.
| products = Electric Propulsion System
Battery System
| website = https://h55.ch/en/
}}
H55 is a Swiss company that produces electric propulsion systems for the aviation industry. The company is a spin-off of the Solar Impulse project. André Borschberg, a former pilot for the project, is a co-founder. The company is headquartered in Sion, Switzerland.
History
The company was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Sion, Switzerland.{{Cite web |last=Regions |first=Canada Economic Development for Quebec |date=2023-03-08 |title=Government of Canada invests in aeronautics sector's green transition by supporting launch of H55 Canada Inc. |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/economic-development-quebec-regions/news/2023/02/government-of-canada-invests-inaeronautics-sectors-greentransition-bysupporting-launchof-h55canadainc.html |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=www.canada.ca}}{{Cite web |title=Swiss clean aviation firm H55 creates Canadian subsidiary |url=https://sustainablebiz.ca/clean-aviation-company-h55-expands-into-canada-via-subsidiary |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=sustainablebiz.ca |language=en |archive-date=2024-09-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240908192610/https://sustainablebiz.ca/clean-aviation-company-h55-expands-into-canada-via-subsidiary |url-status=live }} It's founders are André Borschberg, Sébastien Demont, and Gregory Blatt. H55 has locations in Toulouse, France, and Montreal, Canada.{{Cite web |title=The H55 Story |url=https://h55.ch/en/company/#aboutUsCompany |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=H55 |language=en-US |archive-date=2025-01-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250103015147/https://h55.ch/en/company/#aboutUsCompany |url-status=live }}
The company's main product, a battery system, was approved by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in early 2024.{{Cite web |last=Oehrli |first=Pierre-Yves |date=2024-03-04 |title=H55's battery system receives approval from the EASA {{!}} GGBa |url=https://ggba.swiss/en/h55s-battery-system-receives-approval-from-the-european-union-aviation-safety-agency/ |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=Greater Geneva Bern area |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=H55's Electric Propulsion System Approved by Authorities |url=https://www.halldale.com/civil-aviation/22570-cat-h55-electric-propulsion-system-approved-by-authorities |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=www.halldale.com |language=en |archive-date=2024-11-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241114204407/https://www.halldale.com/civil-aviation/22570-cat-h55-electric-propulsion-system-approved-by-authorities |url-status=live }}
In April 2021 it partnered with Harbour Air, a Richmond, British Columbia based seaplane operator.{{Cite web |last=Dunn |first=Brian |date=March 9, 2023 |title=Canadian government to help Swiss battery provider H55 build facility in Quebec to support electric aviation |url=https://skiesmag.com/news/canadian-government-to-help-swiss-battery-provider-h55-build-facility-in-quebec-to-support-electric-aviation/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250119122023/https://skiesmag.com/news/canadian-government-to-help-swiss-battery-provider-h55-build-facility-in-quebec-to-support-electric-aviation/ |archive-date=2025-01-19 |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=Skies Mag |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Pawson |first=Chad |date=August 20, 2022 |title=Vancouver seaplane airline completes first point-to-point flight with prototype electric aircraft |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/harbour-air-eplane-point-to-point-flight-1.6557011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928190107/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/harbour-air-eplane-point-to-point-flight-1.6557011 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |access-date=January 27, 2025 |website=CBC}} Harbour Air is converting de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beavers to run on electricity, using H55 batteries.{{Cite web |title=Harbour Air signs first eBeaver sales agreement |url=https://skiesmag.com/news/harbour-air-signs-first-ebeaver-sales-agreement/ |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=Skies Mag |language=en-US |archive-date=2024-12-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241214133206/https://skiesmag.com/news/harbour-air-signs-first-ebeaver-sales-agreement/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=Harbour Air Leads The Way With All Electric Aircraft |url=https://www.airlineratings.com/articles/harbour-air-leads-with-all-electric-aircraft |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=www.airlineratings.com |language=en |archive-date=2025-01-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250118050140/https://www.airlineratings.com/articles/harbour-air-leads-with-all-electric-aircraft |url-status=live }}
In 2022 H55 agreed to supply battery systems for a Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) regional hybrid-electric flight demonstrator program.{{Cite web |date=May 19, 2022 |title=Pratt & Whitney Canada Selects H55 as Battery Technology Collaborator for Regional Hybrid-Electric Flight Demonstrator Program |url=https://www.prattwhitney.com/en/newsroom/news/2022/05/19/pwc-selects-h55-as-battery-technology-collaborator-for-regional-hybrid-electric-flight-demonstrator |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=www.prattwhitney.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Cuenca |first=Oliver |title=Pratt & Whitney recruit H55 to hybrid propulsion project |url=https://www.airmedandrescue.com/latest/news/pratt-whitney-recruit-h55-hybrid-propulsion-project |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=www.airmedandrescue.com |language=en |archive-date=2024-10-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241006061949/https://www.airmedandrescue.com/latest/news/pratt-whitney-recruit-h55-hybrid-propulsion-project |url-status=live }} The project intends to convert a De Havilland Canada Dash 8 to be hybrid-electric, aiming for a 30% improvement in fuel efficiency.{{Cite web |date=2022-05-23 |title=Pratt & Whitney Canada selects H55 as battery technology collaborator for regional hybrid-electric flight demonstrator program |url=https://www.militaryaerospace.com/commercial-aerospace/article/14276983/pratt-whitney-canada-selects-h55-as-battery-technology-collaborator-for-regional-hybrid-electric-flight-demonstrator-program |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=Military Aerospace |language=en |archive-date=2025-01-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250116110757/https://www.militaryaerospace.com/commercial-aerospace/article/14276983/pratt-whitney-canada-selects-h55-as-battery-technology-collaborator-for-regional-hybrid-electric-flight-demonstrator-program |url-status=live }} Other partners include: Collins Aerospace; De Havilland Canada; the Canadian government’s National Research Council Canada (NRC); and the Quebec government’s Innovative Vehicle Institute (IVI). CAE and Piper Aircraft selected H55 to provide the battery for the electric conversion kit for the Piper Archer aircraft.{{Cite web |date=2022-07-19 |title=CAE launches Electric Aircraft Modification Program with Piper Aircraft Inc. – Canadian Aviation News |url=https://canadianaviationnews.ca/cae-launches-electric-aircraft-modification-program-with-piper-aircraft-inc/ |access-date=2025-01-28 |language=en-CA}}{{Cite web |date=2022-07-25 |title=Piper Aircraft Partners with CAE on Electric Aircraft Program {{!}} Piper Aircraft |url=https://www.piper.com/press-releases/piper-aircraft-partners-with-cae-on-electric-aircraft-program/ |access-date=2025-01-28 |website=www.piper.com |language=en-US}}
In 2023, H55 expanded into Canada as H55 Canada Inc. The company received a $10,000,000 interest-free loan from the Canadian government as part of the Aerospace Regional Recovery Initiative.{{Cite news |last=Arsenault |first=Julien |date=2023-03-08 |title=Électrification de l'industrie aéronautique: L'entreprise suisse H55 se pose au Québec |url=https://www.lapresse.ca/affaires/entreprises/2023-03-08/electrification-de-l-industrie-aeronautique/l-entreprise-suisse-h55-se-pose-au-quebec.php |access-date=2025-01-27 |work=La Presse |language=fr-CA |archive-date=2024-05-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240529063826/https://www.lapresse.ca/affaires/entreprises/2023-03-08/electrification-de-l-industrie-aeronautique/l-entreprise-suisse-h55-se-pose-au-quebec.php |url-status=live }} Investissement Québec, a provincial investment company, invested in H55.{{Cite web |date=2024-05-21 |title=H55 Announces Investment From The Government Of Que. - Canadian Manufacturing |url=https://www.canadianmanufacturing.com/manufacturing/h55-announces-investment-from-the-government-of-que-299722/ |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=www.canadianmanufacturing.com |language=en-US |archive-date=2024-06-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240616131445/https://www.canadianmanufacturing.com/manufacturing/h55-announces-investment-from-the-government-of-que-299722/ |url-status=live }} The company planned to open a manufacturing facility in Greater Montréal with the investment to provide batteries and other products to the North American market.
H55 registered a company in Toulouse, France in December, 2023{{Cite web |title=H55 FRANCE (H55) (H55) |url=https://annuaire-entreprises.data.gouv.fr/dirigeants/982274797 |access-date=2025-01-28 |website=annuaire-entreprises.data.gouv.fr}} to partner with Czech plane maker BRM Aero on an electric two-seater aircraft.{{Cite web |date=2023-07-20 |title=Aéronautique : H55 s'implante à Toulouse pour faire décoller l'aviation électrique |url=https://toulouse.latribune.fr/entreprises/business/2023-07-20/aeronautique-h55-s-implante-a-toulouse-pour-faire-decoller-l-aviation-electrique-970024.html |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=La Tribune |language=fr |archive-date=2024-03-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240325082957/https://toulouse.latribune.fr/entreprises/business/2023-07-20/aeronautique-h55-s-implante-a-toulouse-pour-faire-decoller-l-aviation-electrique-970024.html |url-status=live }} In 2025 H55 began demonstration flights of its B23 electric two-seat plane, based on the Bristell B23 ultralight.{{Cite web |last=H55 |date=March 27, 2025 |title=H55 FLIES 'ACROSS AMERICA' IN ITS ELECTRIC AIRCRAFT, THE B23 ENERGIC, CARRYING PASSENGERS TO DEMONSTRATE THE FUTURE OF ELECTRIC AVIATION--QUIET, ECONOMICAL, AND EMISSION-FREE |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/h55-flies-across-america-in-its-electric-aircraft-the-b23-energic-carrying-passengers-to-demonstrate-the-future-of-electric-aviationquiet-economical-and-emission-free-302413373.html |access-date=2025-04-06 |website=www.prnewswire.com |language=en}}