GE Aerospace and BETA Technologies today announced a new strategic partnership to develop a hybrid electric turbogenerator for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) applications, including long-range Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) aircraft, future BETA aircraft, and other potential applications.
This hybrid solution will tap into existing infrastructure and capabilities, such as GE Aerospace's CT7 and T700 engines, and is expected to bring significant enhancements in range, payload and speed performance compared to other aircraft in the same segment.
Additionally, GE Aerospace will make an equity investment of $300 million in BETA, giving it the right to designate a director to join BETA's board.
"This partnership brings together two teams deeply committed to and guided by aerospace engineering excellence and building the future of flight. We believe the industry is on the precipice of a real step change, and we're humbled that GE Aerospace has the confidence in our team, technology, and iterative approach to innovation to partner with us. We look forward to partnering to co-develop products that will unlock the potential of hybrid electric flight, and to do it with the rigor, reliability, and safety that aviation demands," said Kyle Clark, BETA Technologies' founder and CEO.
GE Aerospace is advancing a suite of technologies for the future of flight, including integrated hybrid electric propulsion systems and advanced new engine architectures. Multiple milestones have been achieved over the last decade, including a 2016 ground test of an electric motor-driven propeller. In 2022, GE Aerospace completed the world's first test of a megawatt-class and multi-kilovolt (kV) hybrid electric propulsion system in altitude conditions up to 45,000 feet that simulate single-aisle commercial flight.
BETA's aircraft are engineered for all-weather performance and have been tested to operate reliably in a wide range of environmental conditions across the U.S. and Europe. ALIA's electric propulsion and battery systems — which are developed in-house — offers high-tempo performance, as well as a quieter sound profile than conventional aircraft. Together, GE Aerospace and BETA will collaborate to develop an additional offering to enable the AAM industry.
