UPS, one of the world’s largest package delivery companies, recently announced the arrival of the first electric cargo aircraft flight at its WorldPort hub in Louisville, USA.
“This aircraft, which will execute vertical takeoffs and landings, reduces time-in-transit, vehicle emissions and operating costs,” UPS tweeted from its official Twitter handle @UPS. The company had announced in April 2021 that, along with its UPS Flight Forward subsidiary, it was looking to purchase electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft from Beta Technologies (BETA).
BETA’s ALIA-250c is a cargo variant of the eVTOL aircraft and has been in development for three years. According to the firm, its defining characteristic is its ability to take off, land vertically, and then transition to long-range flight. It has a Maximum Take-Off Weight of nearly 3,500 kg with a payload capacity of 700kg.
The ALIA-250c will have a flight range of over 450km and a recharge time quoted by BETA, of 45 minutes. The eVTOL has a wingspan of 50 feet and is powered by a single motor. BETA has already raised over $ 800 million in funding, with its latest Series B funding round bringing in $ 375 million.
UPS had said that it would use eVTOLs to augment its air service for select small and mid-size markets and would take off and land on the property at UPS facilities reducing time-in-transit, vehicle emissions, and operating cost.