BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Could long-haul flights eventually go electric? Burlington-based startup Beta Technologies is eyeing that possibility.
The company’s main focus right now is on regional cargo transportation, with average flights of 140 miles or so. Their planes — which they believe will be FAA-certified in the next couple of years — already have the range for that. But they are already working on electrifying passenger transportation and potentially even looking at electric planes in the future that could fly cross-country.
Beta’s Blain Newton says they’ve invested in advanced battery research in Vermont to try to make their batteries last longer on larger planes. They know their aircraft can currently fly for about 380 miles and still have about 50 or so in reserve.
“This is our first aircraft. We will build better and better aircraft as battery energy density improves, and we’re already seeing that at our facility in St. Albans — that battery energy density is accelerating at an incredible rate, and that will just allow us to build bigger and bigger aircraft to support bigger and broader missions,” Newton said.
BETA has a hiring event this Sunday at their new production facility in South Burlington to help fill manufacturing jobs. Advance registration is required.