Electric Flight Taking Off | Energy Central

Canary Media: “Electric aircraft startups are having a topsy-turvy week.” I have the same problem that this wonderful website has, an obsessive interest in electric flight. Several announcements this wk. First the good news, that “Vermont-based startup Beta Technologies announced that it landed $318 million in Series C equity capital to produce and commercialize its all-electric aircraft and battery charging systems.” as seen in the 2 photos. These are electric vertical takeoff + landing vehicles, called eVTOLs, which startups envision as ‘competing mainly with traditional helicopters, car taxis, and cargo vans, flying high above dense urban traffic to make urgent deliveries or to ferry deep-pocketed commuters.’ Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund [they can really afford it] spearheaded the new investment, which elevates Beta’s total to > $1 billion in equity capital. “To succeed, they must first design battery propulsion systems that are powerful and durable enough to do the job but without weighing the aircraft down. At the same time, eVTOL companies and their partners will need to build vertical landing and takeoff sites within cities, navigate a crowded airspace, and install networks of electric chargers.” On the other side of the entrepreneurial coin, a ‘Munich-based startup planned to launch the first flight of its $10 million Lilium Jet in early 2025, which it anticipated would usher in new investment and pre-delivery payments from potential customers, who have placed orders or signed agreements for more than 780 electric aircraft. But that plan depended on Lilium landing a €100million ($108 million) loan backed by the German government, which was recently denied.’ Back to good news: “Last month, the FAA published highly anticipated rules that establish eVTOLs as the first new category of aircraft in nearly 80 years, and that set guidelines for pilot training and operational requirements.” Sign me up for a maiden flight, I can’t wait.