BURLINGTON, Vt. - Electric vehicle technology is on a steady course to eventually take over much of the world’s transportation sectors, from the automobile to the urban scooter. But there are some industries where today’s EV tech still lags behind fuel-burning engines – most notably, aviation. Battery-powered planes struggle with weight and short range, but one startup company is taking a surprisingly reasonable approach with a logical design. The Beta Technologies Alia isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel and isn’t trying to be a real-life version of some sci-fi craft. Instead, it’s just a regular, albeit weird, electric plane that Beta hopes will make short-haul package delivery and organ transport much cleaner, Mercedes Streeter writes for The Autopian.
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The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:
23 September 2025 - Beta Technologies is advancing electric aviation with its Alia CX300, a conventional fixed-wing aircraft designed for practicality over futuristic concepts. The plane builds on Beta’s earlier Alia A250 eVTOL but drops vertical lift rotors, focusing on efficiency for short-haul missions.
The CX300 uses a 50-foot wingspan, V-tail, and carbon-fiber fuselage to reduce drag and weight. Power comes from Beta’s H500A electric motor, delivering up to 572 horsepower and more than 1,000 pound-feet of torque during takeoff, while weighing just 156 pounds with its inverter.
Energy is stored in a 225-kWh battery system made of five high-voltage packs, each weighing about 562 pounds. The system can recharge in under an hour.
The aircraft targets a 336-nautical-mile range, 153-knot top speed, and payload capacity of five passengers or 200 cubic feet of cargo. Streeter notes Beta’s focus on efficiency and practical routes makes the CX300 one of the more credible paths to electric flight.
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Jamie Whitney, Senior Editor
Military + Aerospace Electronics
