BETA’s ALIA eCTOL completes 2,000 mile trip to US Air Force base for experimental program
As part of a contracted deployment agreement with the US Air Force, eVTOL and eCTOL developer BETA Technologies has landed its ALIA aircraft at Duke Field, a subsidiary of Eglin Air Force Base, following a 2,000 mile journey across 12 states.
BETA Technologies operates as a fully-integrated electric aircraft and systems developer based in Vermont that caught our attention 2021 with the debut of its first aircraft – an eVTOL called the ALIA-250. That model has since been renamed the ALIA VTOL.
Since then, we ALIA VTOL has been joined by an electric conventional takeoff and landing (eCTOL) plane called the ALIA CTOL, which has already flown over 26,000 test miles to date and has undergone evaluation flights for FAA certification and is targeting full approval for commercial operations by 2025.
The ALIA CTOL made an appearance in North Carolina last week, sitting next to the podium has BETA held a groundbreaking event at a new aircraft charging site in the birthplace of flight. Also present at the ceremony was US Air Force project AFWERX, a partner in the charging product and long-time collaborator with BETA Technologies, helping develop its eVTOL and eCTOL technology.
Last week, we reported that BETA’s ALIA eCTOL would continue onward from the Tar Heel State to the Eglin Air Force Base in the western panhandle of Florida. Today, the aircraft has successfully completed its journey and will stay put in Florida to be used for hands-on experimentation and training with professional pilots.
BETA’s eCTOL successfully lands at Air Force base
BETA shared confirmation of a successful journey to Duke Field that ended this afternoon, consisting of over 1,700 nautical miles (~2,000 miles) and more than a 12 hour-plus long series of all-electric flights.
The trip included a stop in Syracuse, navigation through Class B airspace above Boston and New York City, followed by clearance to enter the highly restricted flight restricted zone (FRZ) above Washington DC (seen in featured image above) – the first all-electric aircraft to garner such clearance. BETA says it was able to land and charge its ALIA aircraft several of its own charging stations, 14 of which are already online in the US with 60 additional sites already in development or construction.
Today’s delivery is not only a key milestone for emissions free travel, but kicks off the next step of long-standing partnership between BETA and the Department of Defense that began in 2020 through the latter’s AFWERX Agility Prime Program.
Through this partnership, BETA was able to solidify itself as first electric aircraft developer to receive an airworthiness certificate for manned flight from the military and states it remains the company to have conducted manned evaluation flights with test pilots from the Air Force and Army.
Those tests will now continue as BETA has delivered its ALIA eCTOL to the Duke Field, where it will live for several months while the 413th Squadron of the US Air Force validates vital use cases including critical resupply, cargo deliveries, and personnel transport. BETA founder and CEO Kyle Clark spoke:
For the past several years, AFWERX has provided critical input and support to the BETA programs. Deploying ALIA for experimentation and training at Duke Field is the natural next step in our partnership. We look forward to working hand-in-hand with the U.S. Air Force over the next few months as we work together to assess how the economic, sustainability, and energy independence benefits of electric aviation can serve our military. In addition to the milestone of delivering an asset to our partners, this mission has been an invaluable opportunity to fly our electric aircraft down the east coast into the communities this technology, and our operators, will ultimately serve.
BETA says that in addition to the ALIA eCTOL it also delivered a mobile simulator to Duke Field to train Air Force pilots before they get behind the controls of the full-sized, piloted aircraft. As the US Air Force pushes the ALIA eCTOL to its limit in Florida, BETA says it will continue to work toward FAA certification of the aircraft as well as its ALIA eVTOL sibling. The company expects those aircraft to begin commercial services in 2025 and 2026 respectively.
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First Solar just cut the ribbon on a huge new factory in Iberia Parish, Louisiana, and it dwarfs the New Orleans Superdome. The company’s $1.1 billion, fully vertically integrated facility spans 2.4 million square feet, or about 11 times the size of the stadium’s main arena.
The factory began production quietly in July, a few months ahead of schedule, and employs more than 700 people. First Solar expects that number to hit 826 by the end of the year. Once it’s fully online, the site will add 3.5 GW of annual manufacturing capacity. That brings the company’s total US footprint to 14 GW in 2026 and 17.7 GW in 2027, when its newly announced South Carolina plant is anticipated to come online.
The Louisiana plant produces First Solar’s Series 7 modules using US-made materials — glass from Illinois and Ohio, and steel from Mississippi, which is fabricated into backrails in Louisiana.
The new factory leans heavily on AI, from computer vision that spots defects on the line to deep learning tools that help technicians make real‑time adjustments.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry says the investment is already a win for the region, bringing in “hundreds of good-paying jobs and new opportunities for Louisiana workers and businesses.” A new economic impact analysis from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette projects that the factory will boost Iberia Parish’s GDP by 4.4% in its first full year at capacity. The average manufacturing compensation package comes in at around $90,000, more than triple the parish’s per capita income.
First Solar CEO Mark Widmar framed the new facility as a major step for US clean energy manufacturing: “By competitively producing energy technology in America with American materials, while creating American jobs, we’re demonstrating that US reindustrialization isn’t just a thesis, it’s an operating reality.”
This site joins what’s already the largest solar manufacturing and R&D footprint in the Western Hemisphere: three factories in Ohio, one in Alabama, and R&D centers in Ohio and California. Just last week, First Solar announced a new production line in Gaffney, South Carolina, to onshore more Series 6 module work. By the end of 2026, the company expects to directly employ more than 5,500 people across the US.
Read more: First Solar pours $330M into a new South Carolina solar factory
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No, it’s not the new Bolt. GM’s design team previewed a new high-riding “sporty Chevrolet EV” that should be brought to life.
Is Chevy launching a new sporty EV?
This is the all-electric vehicle Chevy should sell in the US. General Motors’ design team released a series of sketches previewing a sporty new Chevy EV.
Although it kinda looks like the new 2027 Chevy Bolt EV as a higher-sitting compact crossover SUV, the design offers a fresh take on what it should have looked like.
The new Bolt is essentially a modernized version of the outgoing EUV model with a similar compact crossover silhouette. Nissan adopted a similar style with the new 2026 LEAF as buyers continue shifting from smaller sedans and hatchbacks to crossovers and SUVs.
Will we see the sporty Chevy EV in real life? It’s not likely. For one, the “exploration sketch” is by GM China Advanced designer Charles Huang.
GM Design posted the sketches on its global social media page, but the caption read “Sporty Chevrolet EV for the China Market.”
It’s too bad. The Bolt could use a sporty sibling like an SS variant. Chevy introduced the Blazer EV SS (check out our review) for the 2026 model year, its fastest “SS” model yet. Packing up to 615 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque, the Chevy Blazer SS can race from 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds when using Wide Open Watts (WOW) mode.
Will the Bolt be next? I wouldn’t get my hopes up. And if GM does bring the sporty Chevy EV to life, it will likely only be sold in China. Like all the fun cars these days.
What do you think of the design? Would you buy one of these in the US? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
While deliveries of the 2027 Bolt are set to begin in early 2026, Chevy is offering some sweet deals on its current EV lineup, including up to $4,000 off in Customer Cash and 0% APR financing for 60 months.
Ready to test drive one? You can use our links below to find Chevy Equinox, Blazer, and Silverado EVs at a dealership near you.
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Environment
Podcast: Electricity is the base currency, Tesla Robotaxi crashes, new Porsche Cayenne EV, and more
In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss electricity becoming the base currency, Tesla Robotaxi crashes, the new Porsche Cayenne EV, and more.
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
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Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET:
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