Beta Technologies, GE Aerospace enter hybrid-electric partnership

Under the agreement, GE Aerospace said it will make a $300 million equity investment in Beta, subject to regulatory approval. The companies said they plan to work on a hybrid-electric turbogenerator for long-range VTOL aircraft, future Beta designs, and other applications. The joint effort combines Beta’s experience with high-performance electric generators with GE Aerospace’s expertise in turbine power, certification, safety, and large-scale production.

“This partnership brings together two teams deeply committed to and guided by aerospace engineering excellence and building the future of flight,” said Kyle Clark, Beta founder and CEO. “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.”

The planned hybrid system will incorporate certain existing infrastructure and products such as GE Aerospace’s CT7 and T700 engines. Expectations for the project include improvement in speed, range, and payload compared with other aircraft in the same categories.

The transaction, aimed at bringing together Beta’s innovative drive and startup culture with GE’s worldwide experience, is part of GE Aerospace’s strategy to collaborate with other companies to improve aviation technology. The deal also gives GE Aerospace the right to pick a director to serve on Beta’s board.

“Partnering with BETA will expand and accelerate hybrid electric technology development, meeting our customers’ needs for differentiated capabilities that provide more range, payload, and optimized engine and aircraft performance,” said H. Lawrence Culp Jr., GE Aerospace chairman and CEO.  

GE Aerospace has long worked on adapting electric power for aviation, in part by developing hybrid-electric propulsion systems and advanced engine architecture. The company ground-tested a propeller driven by an electric motor in 2016, and in 2022 it tested a megawatt-class hybrid-electric propulsion system at 45,000 feet, simulating conditions in a single-aisle commercial aircraft. Beta is a leading developer of electric aircraft known for data collection through its extensive flight-testing program and for developing its own electric propulsion and battery systems.