The $3.25m enables ZeroAvia to design, build and test a rapid liquid hydrogen refuelling vehicle. It will open operations at Livermore Municipal airport ahead of aviation-focused LH2 fueling demonstrations.

The regional airline will retrofit the clean engines to its fleet of wheeled and amphibious Caravans for last-mile connectivity across runways and waterways.

A denser form of hydrogen storage promises faster refuelling and lower costs for hydrogen aviation, and ZeroAvia plans to explore cryo-compressed hydrogen for airports and aircraft.