Here’s what’s on our plate today:

• 🛩️ Electric planes take flight, and the aviation future gets a jolt.

• ⚡ AI PCs surge, engineers get skeptical, and AI’s energy appetite keeps growing.

• 📰 Amazon’s $10B AI play, global nuclear power for AI, and the world’s AI trust divide.

• 🛠️ Clone your voice, sketch your next big app, and make a data dashboard—with zero code.

The Laboratory

Beta Technologies and the flight path to greener skies

The future of the transportation industry lies in electric vehicles, a shift that will reshape how we view mobility and its environmental cost. This has been the aim and consensus for some time now, and there has been significant progress in this direction.

While the personal automobile industry has been making advances in electrification (it is expected that there will be 77 million passenger vehicles in the global electric vehicle fleet by 2025), it cannot be the only mode of transportation to undergo electrification. Indeed, it hasn’t been. While global headlines were dominated by AI and the trade tussle between the U.S. and China, the aviation industry achieved a remarkable milestone.

Beta Technologies became the first U.S. company to land an all-electric aircraft at an airport in the New York-New Jersey region. The aircraft flew 45 minutes with a pilot and four passengers. While this wasn’t the first flight of an all-electric aircraft, it marks the fruition of decades of research and development in the industry, reigniting hopes that we may, after all, achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 through innovations that reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.

So, while Beta Technologies enjoys its moment in the limelight, let us take a look at the work that has gone into making electric aircraft a reality. Also, when can we expect to fly in a silent aircraft that operates without threatening the planet?

The electric shift in transportation

The concept of electric flight dates back to the late 19th century, with the first electrically powered airship flight occurring in 1883. At the time, a couple of French army officers gave a hydrogen-filled dirigible, La France, huge batteries, and an 8-horsepower electric motor, paving the way for the first electric flight. However, after the initial interest, all went quiet on the man-carrying electric aircraft front and remained so for about 90 years.

It wasn't until the 1970s that manned electric aircraft began to take shape.

The Militky MB-E1, developed in 1973, is recognized as the first manned electric aircraft. In recent years, the push for sustainable aviation has accelerated, leading to the development of electric aircraft capable of carrying passengers.

Where does the industry stand today?

Beta Technologies may be the first company to land an all-electric aircraft, but it is nowhere near the only company working on making electric aircraft a reality.

Startups like Eviation, Ampaire, Joby Aviation, EHang, and Vertical Aerospace have all been working on their own versions of electric aircraft.

While some companies are working solely on electric aircraft, others are hedging their bets on hybrid technology. Ampaire is one such company. Headquartered in Hawthorne, California, Ampaire's Eco Caravan, a hybrid-electric aircraft, aims to reduce fuel consumption by up to 70% on shorter trips.

Traditional aircraft manufacturers, including Boeing, Airbus, Rolls-Royce, and even NASA, have been working to develop electric aircraft.

What's driving the electric aircraft industry?

In 2021, the electric aircraft market size worldwide almost reached 50 million U.S. dollars, a twofold increase compared to the previous year. The market further grew from USD 7.01 billion in 2024 to USD 8.05 billion in 2025. It is expected to continue growing at a CAGR of 16.46%, reaching USD 17.50 billion by 2030.

The market has shown significant growth with investments from both private and institutional investors, fueling the development of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and related technologies. Some of the prominent names to have received substantial investment include Beta Technologies, which raised $318 million in a Series C round in October 2024 from Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), with participation from Fidelity Management & Research Company and TPG’s Rise Climate Fund.

Similarly, Joby Aviation secured a $250 million investment from Toyota in May 2025, marking the first tranche of a planned $500 million total investment. The company also entered into a memorandum of understanding with Abdul Latif Jameel to explore a $1 billion launch of Joby’s electric air-taxi service in Saudi Arabia. Other startups across the globe have received considerable investments to fuel research and development.

What are the challenges to the electric aircraft industry?

One of the main challenges for electric aviation is range. While battery technology has come a long way since electric aircraft were first conceived, the tech has yet to reach levels that will make long-distance flights possible.

Modern lithium-ion batteries simply do not offer the same energy density as jet fuel-powered engines. Powering a large commercial aircraft for long distances would require heavy batteries that could make up as much as 60% of the plane’s total weight, compared to just 30% when using jet fuel.

Another challenge is infrastructure. Electric aircraft will require charging infrastructure that is both powerful and efficient, especially if commercial flights are to become a reality. Currently, a standard aircraft takes 45 minutes to an hour to fully refuel and can run for up to 21 hours. The amount of energy required to match this performance will likely exceed what existing airports’ electrical infrastructure can deliver. New infrastructure will therefore have to be purpose-built, necessitating significant financial investment.

Finally, there are regulatory challenges. A new aircraft must undergo rigorous testing before it can take to the skies, and it must meet regulatory requirements, a process that can often take five to seven years. Aircraft must also undergo multiple tests before they can be delivered to customers.

So, where are we with electric aircraft?

Despite the many challenges, electric aircraft are rapidly making their presence felt. While electric aircraft may not replace large aircraft like the Boeing 747 or Airbus A380 anytime soon, they can efficiently cover shorter distances without harming the environment.

Private aircraft generally seat up to 19 passengers, covering up to 1,500 miles non-stop. Electric aircraft can’t quite match this, but with half of global flights covering under 500 miles, they remain a viable option for private jet clients traveling shorter distances.

Additionally, hybrid power options can also play an important role in reducing larger aircraft’s carbon footprint, complementing the growing interest in fully electric aircraft.

TL;DR

Are we watching a transformation in real time?

• Beta Technologies landed the first all-electric plane at a major NY airport—a historic flight for greener skies.

• Electric aircraft startups are booming, but battery range and airport infrastructure are still major obstacles.

• The market’s heating up fast: billions invested, major players (like Joby and Ampaire) are racing to scale up.

• Electric planes are great for short hops, but don’t expect to fly transatlantic without jet fuel just yet.

Quick Poll

Stats of the Week

• AI PCs Surge: AI-powered PCs are projected to account for 43% of global PC shipments in 2025, with an estimated 114 million units expected to ship this year.

• Engineers' AI Skepticism: Only 64% of engineering graduates in India express a positive outlook on AI's impact on their careers, significantly lower than the optimism shown by graduates from other fields.

• AI's Energy Appetite: Artificial intelligence is projected to surpass Bitcoin mining in energy consumption by the end of 2025, potentially using nearly half of the electricity consumed by global data centers.

Headlines You Actually Need

• Amazon announced a $10 billion investment to expand its AI and cloud infrastructure in North Carolina, aiming to create at least 500 high-skilled jobs.

• Poll reveals that English-speaking countries exhibit higher apprehension towards AI, with lower trust in government regulation.

• Meta is partnering to restart a dormant Illinois nuclear plant—securing clean, massive energy for its AI operations and future data centers.

Weekend To-Do (Generated by GPT, Verified by You)

• 📚 Uizard: Sketch anything, snap a pic, and Uizard’s AI will turn it into a working app prototype—perfect for non-coders and idea-hoarders.

• 🎧 ElevenLabs: Test-drive their new instant voice cloning feature—record a quick sample, and let AI read anything back in your voice.

• 💻 Hex: Connect to any dataset (CSV, SQL, Google Sheets), describe what you want, and let Hex build interactive visualizations—no code required.

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