Beta Technologies nearly doubled the number of electric aircraft chargers in its nationwide charging network over the last 12 months, the Vermont-based company announced on January 7. With 30 new charging stations coming online in 2024, Beta now has chargers at 46 sites across 22 states. An additional 23 sites for both public and private use are currently in the planning and development stages, according to Beta.

The electric aircraft manufacturer's multimodal “charge cubes” are universal charging stations that support electric aircraft as well as ground vehicles like cars, buses, and airport ground support equipment. The charge cubes feature 320-kilowatt DC fast chargers with 50-foot cables and standard CCS1 (combined charging system combo 1) plugs, which are compatible with most electric vehicles in North America. Each charging station connects to the grid with an AC/DC inverter and can support up to two charge cubes at a time. Customers can locate chargers and pay via Beta’s mobile app.

Beta began developing chargers and building out a charging network in 2020 to support the arrival of new electric aircraft, including its own Alia CX300 electric airplane and Alia 250 eVTOL model, for which the company anticipates FAA approval in 2025 and 2026, respectively. Beta said it plans to begin installing the charge cubes abroad for the first time in 2025 to support international operations. Foreign customers of Beta’s Alia aircraft include Air New Zealand, Dublin-based aircraft lessor LCI, and Helijet in Canada.

So far, Beta’s charging network has been mostly concentrated in the U.S. Northeast and along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, with a few facilities in the Midwest. Its only two chargers currently on the West Coast are both located at Archer Aviation’s test facility in Salinas, California, where they support the flight test campaign of Archer’s four-passenger Midnight eVTOL air taxi. Archer is one of several companies aiming to bring new eVTOL models into commercial service this year, pending regulatory approval.

“As electric aviation gets closer and closer to commercial operations, it becomes all the more critical that we have a robust and reliable charging network in place to support this emerging industry,” said Nate Ward, Beta’s charge network lead. “From the outset, we had this idea of creating chargers that could support the entire industry, and over the course of the past year, we’ve seen that idea really begin to find traction. It’s been great to work with partners from across aviation to prepare for the collective future of electric aviation, and we look forward to continuing to ramp up our efforts in 2025.”

To support the rollout of its charging network at airports, Beta has partnered with stakeholders across the industry, including local government offices, regional and municipal airport authorities, and FBO chains such as Atlantic Aviation, Signature Aviation, and Avflight. In December, Beta inaugurated its latest charging station with Atlantic Aviation FBO at Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport (KBAF) in Westfield, Massachusetts. This was Atlantic’s sixth FBO to be equipped with Beta’s chargers and its second in the state of Massachusetts.

Growth of Beta’s network last year was further bolstered by a $20 million contract from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for a program assessing how electric aircraft might replace helicopters for aeromedical operations and improve healthcare access in rural communities. It also received a $2.6 million grant from the state of Michigan in mid-2024 to bring charging infrastructure to four Michigan airports.