This past weekend, APUS Zero Emission GmbH celebrated the official roll-out of its emission-free aircraft, the APUS i-2.
In perfect sunny weather, Brandenburg’s Minister of Economic Affairs, Prof. Dr. Jörg Steinbach, alongside APUS CEO Phillip Scheffel, opened the event at the Strausberg airfield in front of nearly 300 invited guests, delivering the heartfelt congratulations of the state of Brandenburg.
In his speech, Phillip Scheffel emphasized the tremendous efforts of his team: “Without the outstanding work and dedication of our team, this success would never have been possible. Together, we have redefined the boundaries of modern aviation.”
The APUS i-2 is the world’s first emission-free aircraft designed for daily use. As a four-seat normal-category (CS-23) aircraft, the APUS i-2 has a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 2,200 kg, a range of 500 nautical miles (900 km), and a cruising speed of up to 160 knots (KTAS). These performance figures are comparable to most modern four-seat aircraft.
The propulsion system of the APUS i-2 is based on an innovative hydrogen fuel cell, making the aircraft 100% emission-free – no CO2, no NOx – a true revolution in emission-free aviation. This is made possible by APUS’s patented structurally integrated hydrogen storage system, which allows for up to 25% higher specific energy density than conventional hydrogen tanks and up to ten times better energy density than battery-electric aircraft. Additionally, this system avoids the use of rare minerals commonly found in batteries.