Founded in 2017, Vermont-based electric aircraft manufacturer Beta Technologies was valued at USD 7.44 billion recently following its debut on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
According to analysts, the listing was relatively subdued, as investor sentiment remains cautious amid a prolonged US government shutdown and, more significantly, the tariff war initiated by the Donald Trump administration earlier this year. These factors have fueled market uncertainty and disrupted several IPO launches.
Nonetheless, GE Aerospace-backed Beta has emerged as one of the leading publicly listed players in the electric aircraft space. Its peers, Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation, both of which went public in 2021 via blank-check mergers, are currently valued at USD 6.72 billion and USD 14.45 billion, respectively.
Joining The eVTOL Revolution
Beta Technologies is currently designing and making electric aircraft, advanced electric propulsion systems, charging systems, and aircraft components. While eVTOL, as a sector, will provide cheaper and quieter alternatives to helicopters for emergency medical services, cargo, and defence, Beta eyes its variant for the same purposes to get certified by late 2027 or early 2028. As per the company’s internal estimates, the aircraft can reduce operational expenses by 74% compared with traditional helicopters.
The aircraft platform, ALIA, consists of two variants — a conventional fixed-wing electric aeroplane (ALIA CTOL) and an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (ALIA VTOL), options that would facilitate cost-effective and safe missions across cargo and logistics, defence, passenger, and medical end markets. In addition, Beta is deploying its charging infrastructure to enable the industry, with more than 50 sites online across the United States and Canada.
As per Beta, ALIA has flown more piloted miles than any other eVTOL through flight tests and partner engagements. The aircraft has flown through, landed in, and reportedly covered more than half of the United States and parts of Canada.
In the process, ALIA’s VTOL variant has recorded an energy cost worth USD 28 per hour, against Bell 407 chopper’s USD 311/hour, while registering 84% fewer emissions than conventional helicopters. The CTOL variant, on the other hand, possesses an energy cost worth USD 18 per hour against Cessna 208’s USD 347/hour, while bringing down the pollution footprint (operational) by 75%.
Talking about the eVTOL charging network created by the start-up, “Beta Chargers” is supporting airports’ existing electric vehicle fleets while simultaneously meeting the operational requirements of the leading electric aircraft manufacturers, from helping their clients to secure local and state grants for bringing electric access to communities.
While Beta’s “Thermal Management System” seamlessly integrates with the Charge Cube (a charge solution designed for permanent installation at airports), maximising efficiency and battery longevity through optimal battery conditioning, the charging network also supports multiple payment methods, including plug-and-charge, so the user can complete transactions quickly and securely without the need for additional accounts or cards.
The Charge Cube itself has been a fine example of innovation, leading the next generation of the eVTOL boom. At four feet tall, Beta’s Charge Cubes easily fit underneath an aircraft wing and offer a plug-and-charge experience to pilots and crew who operate them.
While the overall charging process takes 50 minutes or less, the 50-foot cord provides flexibility in aircraft parking orientation and location to minimise aircraft ground handling and maintain a safe distance between the aircraft and its Charge Cube.
Innovative And Cutting-edge Power Plant
Beta Technologies produces its own propulsion system to power ALIA, using engines that lift, push, and manage power distribution in a hybrid manner, making it ideal for urban air mobility, VTOL, and CTOL (conventional take-off and landing) applications.
The quad-redundant operations-expanding vehicle mover is 684 millimetres in diameter, providing high torque for high power-density operations and enabling aircraft to take off and land vertically in every element.
This kilowatt-sipping, high-efficiency, sensorless-controlled motor, 566 millimetres in diameter, gives aircraft climb and range flexibility thanks to its dual-redundant internal rotor with an integrated hollow shaft.
Every Beta propulsion system is designed, validated, conformed, and customised to the operational requirements of the start-up’s customers and their mission. For example, the H500A pusher and V600A lift engines, designed to meet the operating needs of emergency medical tissue transport carriers, also address the requirement of decarbonising air transportation by going all-electric.
Beta Technologies’ electric propulsion systems are setting the standards for state-of-the-art electric motor technology, innovation, advanced materials, and production processes. In contrast to conventional aircraft engines, these systems require 1,000x fewer parts while registering over 70,000 hours of continuous prop-stand flight test since 2021. In terms of engine efficiency (the ratio of the output of an engine to its input), H500A stands at 98%, as against the 30% of its legacy counterparts.
Creating An Ecosystem
Beta Technologies’ energy storage systems feature multiple redundant protections against unlikely thermal runaway events, communications glitches, non-uniform discharges, and environmental interruptions. The packs delivered by the start-up meet stringent requirements per DO-160G and minimise additional hazards during a worst-case thermal runaway condition.
The energy storage system is composed of multiple battery packs, built from thousands of individual battery cells, connected in parallel through a distribution system designed to provide safety, market-leading energy density, and redundancy for all power requirements. These packs also possess other safety features like a built-in fire detection system, sub-pack containment for worst-case thermal runaway, and overboard emergency exhaust venting.
Also, mention must be made of Beta’s innovative flight control computer (FCC), which is currently serving as the nerve centre of the start-up’s aircraft prototypes and is ready for integration into a variety of aircraft platforms.
“Our flight control computer is more than just control laws — it consolidates pilot inputs, digital communication, and control logic in a small form factor box for efficient installation on an aircraft. Our completely fly-by-wire (FBW) system is future-proofed with autonomy applications in mind,” Beta commented.
While Beta Technologies’ team of pilots, engineers, and technicians have brought their aviation-related expertise to design a simple-to-build and intuitive-to-fly kind of flight control system, the venture is now teaming up with industry players to make its product the new normal in the eVTOL market, enabling truly transformative urban air mobility solutions.
Image Credits: Beta Technologies