DroneUp Is Testing Hydrogen Fuel Cells—Will Other Drone Firms Follow?

Most drones today are battery electric, but hydrogen power may be the future.

Tuesday, April 18, 2023 at 05:04 PM ET

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A DroneUp drone hovers over a Walmart parking lot in Farmington, Arkansas. [Credit: Walmart]

Key Takeaways:

DroneUp, a leading drone delivery firm and Walmart partner, is piloting hydrogen fuel cell technology from Doosan Mobility Innovation to power its commercial drone network.
Hydrogen fuel cells offer significantly extended flight times (2-5 hours compared to 20 minutes for batteries) and promise reduced carbon emissions for drone operations.
Despite considerations like higher operational costs and lower power density for heavier aircraft, other drone companies are exploring this technology, suggesting a future where hydrogen and electric power coexist as zero-emission drone fuel sources.

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Hydrogen fuel cells are steadily catching on in ground-based transportation, but could they soon be a fixture of our airspace?

That appears to be the goal for Virginia Beach-based drone delivery firm DroneUp. The Walmart partner, which powers the retailer’s largest-in-the-nation commercial drone delivery network, recently announced its plans to test hydrogen fuel cell technology from Doosan Mobility Innovation (DMI), one of the first firms to commercialize hydrogen-powered drones.