Augusta Regional Airport welcomes new chargers, previews electric plane prototype

Cars aren't the only ones seeing an eco-friendly evolution.

Augusta Regional Airport unveiled new chargers on Wednesday to power electric ground vehicles as well as electric aircrafts. The charging stations were created by BETA Technologies, who are also working on a prototype, battery-powered airplane for carrying passengers or cargo.

The prototype known as ALIA was not on site, but there were models and a hi-tech simulator that allowed guests to "pilot" the aircraft from takeoff, active flight and landing.

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BETA has also implemented standard level 2 car chargers in Augusta Regional's parking lots. While chargers like these are available elsewhere, the level 3 electric aircraft charger located at the general aviation ramp is the first of its kind in the Southeast.

"We're proud to be leading the way in preparing the airport and the state of Georgia for the new electric aircraft, ground service equipment and aerospace technologies," said Augusta Regional Airport Executive Director Herbert Judon Jr. "This charger will help Georgia supply the infrastructure necessary to support these new and emerging technologies as the industry matures and electric vehicles become more and more prevalent."

Though Augusta Regional has no electric planes of its own yet, the charger has been designed to work with the vast majority of aircraft manufacturers and can also be used for the majority of electric ground vehicles in the meantime.

EV owners have said part of the appeal of their electric cars is lower fuel costs and better maintenance. Similar benefits are likely with flying electric. BETA's network developer Nathan Ward said their tests have shown that, on a 200-mile trip, the ALIA will burn about $17 of power while a gas-powered, similarly-sized counterpart would burn about $700 of gas. It's also been built with more simplicity in mind, meaning less maintenance. Another similar benefit is that the electric aircrafts are much more quiet than the gas-powered counterparts.

The ALIA looks very different from most aircrafts today. It features four roters on top, a propeller on the back, and a 50-foot wing span. This design means it takes off and lands straight up and down like a helicopter, but the actual flight requires less of the nose-tipping associated with helicopters and more of the smooth ride associated with planes.

Ward said they are looking to get the ALIA certified by late 2024 and, in the meantime, are building out the infrastructure to support it.

"Electric aviation is coming faster than most people realize and it's something we have to plan for," he said.

Both the level 2 chargers and the level 3 chargers are operational and ready for use.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Augusta Regional Airport has electric aircraft chargers, previews ALIA