Logistics giant UPS and its drone delivery subsidiary, UPS Flight Forward, have revealed plans to purchase electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft from BETA Technologies.

UPS expects delivery of the first 10 BETA eVTOLs to begin in 2024, and there is an option to buy as many as 150 of the aircraft. They will be used to augment air service in selected small and mid-size markets. The aircraft will take off and land at UPS facilities, reducing time in transit, vehicle emissions and operating costs.

UPS believes that the 1,400 lb cargo capacity of BETA’s eVTOLs makes them ideal for quickly and sustainably transporting time-sensitive deliveries that would otherwise fly on small fixed-wing aircraft.

“This is all about innovation with a focus on returns for our business, our customers and the environment,” explained UPS chief information and engineering officer Juan Perez. “These new aircraft will create operational efficiencies in our business, open possibilities for new services, and serve as a foundation for future solutions to reduce the emissions profile of our air and ground operation.”

BETA’s eVTOL has four fixed vertical-lift propellers and one pusher propeller for forward flight. It can charge in an hour or less and produces zero operational emissions. With a 250-mile range and a cruising speed of up to 170 miles per hour, the aircraft will be able to fly a series of short delivery routes, or one long route, on a single charge.

“We’re combining simple, elegant design and advanced technology to create a reliable aircraft with zero operational emissions that will revolutionise how cargo moves,” said BETA founder and CEO Kyle Clark. “By utilising vertical take-offs and landings, we can turn relatively small spaces at existing UPS facilities into a micro air feeder network without the noise or operating emissions of traditional aircraft.”

BETA’s aircraft is designed to eventually fly autonomously when the necessary technologies and regulations are in place. UPS Flight Forward received the first US FAA Part 135 air carrier certification to operate a drone airline and is operating daily revenue-generating flights with drones. The FAA certification also enables UPS Flight Forward to fly payloads of up to 7,500 lb, either with an operator or autonomously.

In March, BETA advanced to a new phase of its flight testing, completing an interstate flight from its Plattsburgh, New York test facility to its Burlington, Vermont headquarters. In accordance with FAA protocols for experimental aircraft, BETA had to complete rigorous testing to ensure reliable and predictable behaviour of its eVTOL. In the same week, the developer achieved a new personal best for range with the aircraft, while also reaching 8,000 ft in altitude.

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