Beta Technologies on Monday announced the next generation of electric aircraft in its lineup, a passenger-carrying version of its ALIA vertical takeoff and landing aircraft and fixed-wing aircraft.
Electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles are runway-independent, while fixed-wing aircraft are runway-dependent.
The Vermont-based startup, which has raised more than $860 million in equity to date from leading companies such as Amazon's Climate Pledge, is doing things a little differently than others in the industry. It is pursuing electric aircraft more carefully. Unlike competitors Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation, Beta does not intend to operate its own urban air taxi network. Rather, Beta positions itself as an OEM that sells aircraft and charging solutions to a large number of customers.
So far, Beta has secured customers in defense, cargo delivery and medical logistics, including United Therapeutics, UPS, Air New Zealand and the US Air Force, with plans to launch in these markets by 2025. is standing. Customers like Archer rely on products that are in beta. The charging network consists of 34 active sites, with more than 50 sites underway.
“Airplane passengers were always part of the plan,” Beta founder and CEO Kyle Clark told TechCrunch. “We designed everything inside the aircraft from a safety and space configuration perspective to accommodate passengers. From a certification and customer acquisition perspective, we focused first on medical and cargo, then on passenger It makes more sense to work on it,” he added.
Although Beta has not yet built a full passenger-carrying prototype, the concept relies on much of the same design and engineering as Beta's existing models. Clark says this creates a streamlined path to certification, manufacturing and commercialization.
The biggest notable difference is that the passenger version has more windows to look out, and the interior has five seats plus a pilot's cabin, a luggage compartment, and a “comfortable seat for people in the back seats.” It is equipped with “equipment to spend your time.” Clark said they are light switches and ventilation controls.
Image credit: Beta Technology
All versions can carry around 1,400 pounds, and in some cases already do. Beta's aircraft are already testing military cargo missions, and Clark said the startup has flown more hours than anyone else in the industry.
“I believe that before dozens, if not hundreds, of cargo planes fly for tens of thousands of flight hours and begin carrying passengers, we must focus on one of the most important things in the aviation industry: product safety. “It creates trust,'' Clark said.
“Because of the trust we've built and the regulations we've chosen to get us through the turnstiles faster, we believe this strategy will actually allow us to get passengers on board faster than anyone else.”
Clark estimates it will take 13 to 14 months for the beta aircraft to be certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Today, Beta has secured a “Market Research Ticket”. This will allow the startup to fly with potential customers and allow pilots to test and evaluate the aircraft.
And that strategy is already helping it secure customers in the passenger sector. On-demand aviation startup Blade, which helps wealthy people book helicopters and seaplanes to avoid traffic jams, plans to sell Beta's fully-backed eVTOL in 2021. I ordered 20 planes. Other customers include airline LCI, which uses Beta's aircraft for transportation. Helijet has placed a firm order for four eVTOLs with an option to purchase four more for cargo and passenger missions.
Beta is gearing up to fulfill these orders and more over the next few years. The company built its first aircraft at its prototype facility, but Beta opened the doors to its South Burlington production facility in January. Clark said the FAA is closely monitoring production, which means it's “not going to be rocket-fast,” but he expects the facility will produce hundreds of planes over the next 18 months. I'm predicting it. Clark expects the facility to have a maximum annual capacity of 300 aircraft in four years.
Clark's biggest hope is that electric aviation will significantly lower the cost of regional flights, allowing people who would normally drive two to three hours to get to a commercial airport to fly in minutes without spending a fortune. This means that you will be able to arrive at the airport within the next few days.
He pointed out that today's short-haul regional flights are very expensive because jet engine fuel is expensive and the regular maintenance costs of the jet engines themselves are also expensive.
“Moving from aircraft powered by turbines or jet engines to electric aircraft can essentially cut transportation costs in half,” Clark said. “This expands the market for transporting people by about 10 times.”
Correction: A previous version of this article stated there were 20 charging sites active in the beta, based on outdated numbers the company provided to TechCrunch.