A new company that aims to build and sell planes that run on hydrogen-powered electricity emerged from stealth Wednesday. ZeroAvia, based in Hollister, Calif., claims its planes will be cheaper to manufacture and fly than standard jet fuel-powered vehicles, while also producing none of the carbon emissions that make the aviation industry one of the worst polluters.
ZeroAvia plans to initially target small planes of 10-20 seats that fly short, regional hops of up to 500 miles. The company has conducted a number of successful flight tests using its prototype in a Piper M-class airframe. At a 2-ton takeoff weight and six seats in a business-class arrangement, the prototype is currently the world’s largest zero-emission aircraft flying…