Ce que PERSONNE ne vous dit sur l'HYDROGÈNE

The aviation industry, particularly in Europe, is at the forefront of hydrogen technology compared to China and the US, a surprising fact. Hydrogen offers several advantages: it emits only water, is cheaper to operate, quieter, and provides national sovereignty as it can be produced locally. However, hydrogen-powered aircraft are currently slower and have a shorter range. This technology is still in its early stages, and many remain skeptical, especially for applications like transatlantic flights or cars, where electric vehicles are deemed more suitable. The speaker, Eloa, CEO of Beyond Aero, believes that aviation will eventually become entirely electric. Beyond Aero, founded by Eloa and her two partners, Hugo and Valentin, emerged from a passion for aviation and a recognition of a strong market need in business aviation. They have secured 1.5 billion in pre-orders in a 30-billion-dollar market. Eloa, an aeronautical engineer by training, is based between the US and France, with offices in both locations. Beyond Aero participated in Y Combinator, an accelerator typically for software companies, despite being a hardware startup. Her company, initially American, underwent a "flip-back" to France, supported by the France 2030 plan, a rare reversal of the "brain drain" phenomenon. Eloa highlights the stagnant incremental improvements (8-10% every 10 years) made by existing aviation players like Airbus and Dassault. Beyond Aero aims for a technological breakthrough with electric aviation, including hydrogen, leveraging a lower barrier to entry for new players. They have already flown a two-seater hydrogen prototype, which Eloa emphasizes was a real aircraft with a pilot, not a drone, implying a higher level of safety and technological derisking. This prototype, named Blériot (G1), was a retrofit of an existing aluminum aircraft, similar to Tesla's early use of a Lotus chassis. The purpose of this prototype was to learn and validate technological hypotheses rather than to create a marketable product. The aviation industry is highly regulated, especially in Europe, to ensure safety. Beyond Aero's prototype flights were conducted under strict compliance with European certification authorities (EASA). The company's current focus is on developing a 6-8 seater aircraft that meets certification standards from the outset. This involves a "clean sheet" design, meaning they are designing the aircraft from scratch around hydrogen propulsion systems. The new aircraft will be 100% electric, powered by hydrogen fuel cells that generate electricity to drive electric propellers (pushers). Unlike traditional aircraft, hydrogen tanks are cylindrical and heavy, necessitating a redesigned architecture to accommodate them, often between the wing and fuselage (shoulders or root tanks) and sometimes in wingtip tanks for extended range. This design, while less aerodynamic and potentially slower, is optimized for hydrogen. The current design allows for a 6-seater aircraft to travel about 1500 km. Hydrogen propulsion, while less efficient than thermal engines (losing almost 50% of power in the conversion process), offers significant operational cost reductions due to lower maintenance, reduced noise, and environmental benefits (zero emissions at the aircraft level). The challenge lies in producing "green" hydrogen through electrolysis using renewable energy, as most hydrogen today is "grey" (produced from methane). Eloa acknowledges that no solution is perfect but believes electric aviation is the future. Beyond Aero's target market is business aviation in Europe, where 80% of flights are under 1500 km. This segment, though representing only 1% of total aviation emissions, is seen as a pragmatic entry point. The US business aviation market, particularly for "executive shuttles" on routes like San Francisco-LA-Las Vegas, also presents similar short-distance opportunities. Only a few hydrogen refueling stations (around seven in Europe) would be needed to cover most routes. Eloa's personal journey into aviation was driven by a childhood dream of becoming an astronaut. After realizing there was no direct "astronaut school," she pursued aerospace engineering at Supaero. During her studies, she met her co-founders, Hugo and Valentin, and discovered a shared vision and drive. The idea for Beyond Aero solidified during the COVID-19 lockdown, where they deeply reflected on their definition of success and identified a gap in the market for electric aviation. After 312 customer interviews, they confirmed the strong need in business aviation. Their initial funding of 1 million euros came through networking, with Frédéric Montagnon being an early supporter. The company's development process emphasizes rigorous planning and execution. Inspired by the principle "Run your company today as if it was public tomorrow," they adopted an agile methodology with monthly sprints and quarterly objectives (OKRs). This approach, combined with the strategic hiring of experienced aviation veterans (like a chief engineer with 69 years of experience), has enabled them to meet 91% of their deadlines over the past 18 months. AI agents are also integrated into their data lake to streamline design, certification, and data analysis, significantly reducing development time. Beyond Aero's current financial need is around 300 million euros to reach the flight test phase for the production-representative aircraft, which is projected for 2029, assuming sufficient funding. The total program cost, including R&D, flight tests, and a small manufacturing facility, is estimated at 600-650 million euros. Their 6-seater jet is expected to sell for 12-15 million euros, slightly higher than conventional jets due to lower operational costs. Eloa maintains a balanced perspective on the challenges, acknowledging the 3% success rate for startups but remaining confident in their project's potential. She emphasizes the "high purpose" of making aviation electric, which drives the entire team. Despite potential setbacks, the project's ability to offer a "clean sheet" design (starting from scratch) is a significant motivator for engineers in an industry known for slow innovation cycles. Beyond Aero faces indirect competition from other electric aviation projects (hybrid, battery-only, or larger hydrogen aircraft) but no direct competitors in the 6-seater hydrogen business jet segment. Eloa believes hydrogen is more suitable for aviation than cars, where it serves niche markets like taxis and trucks due to fast refueling, but doesn't offer the same disruptive potential as electric batteries. Eloa's experience as a young woman in a male-dominated industry has been largely positive, attributing it to her upbringing, supportive co-founders, and a focus on merit. The company's roles were defined based on passion and enjoyment rather than traditional titles. She also highlights the importance of personal well-being, practicing triathlon, and having a mental coach to manage stress and energy, applying lessons from high-level athletes to entrepreneurship. She advises aspiring entrepreneurs to "go even faster, even stronger, without listening to any doubts."