World-leading engine provider GE Aerospace and cutting-edge manufacturers BETA Technologies are partnering to advance hybrid electric aircraft engines.
The US$300 million equity investment from GE Aerospace will help advance lower-carbon aircraft propulsion. As the leading engine provide for commercial aircraft, powering around three-quarters of the world’ planes, finding more sustainable aerospace solutions is key to the company’s growth.
Through the partnership, GE Aerospace and BETA plan to co-develop a hybrid electric turbogenerator for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) applications. One of the leading players in the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) space, BETA’s expertise complements GE Aerospace’s large-scale manufacturing capabilities.
Kyle Clark, BETA Technologies’ Founder and CEO, commented:
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 rigour, reliability, and safety that aviation demands.
BETA’s aircraft have been tested in a range of weather conditions, and the company leads the AAM industry in miles and hours flown. Meanwhile, GE Aerospace’s 2022 test of the world’s first megawatt-class, multi-kilovolt (kV) hybrid electric propulsion system demonstrated how the tech could be applied to commercial flight.
The new partnership aims to maximise hybrid electric engine capabilities, from improving range to lowering operating costs. GE Aerospace Chairman and CEO H. Lawrence Culp, Jr., said:
Partnering with BETA will expand and accelerate hybrid electric technology development, meeting our customers’ needs for differentiated capabilities that provide more range, payload, and optimised engine and aircraft performance.
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