Airport breaks ground on electric charging infrastructure  

Hospitality
Written By Adam Russo

Photo courtesy of West Michigan Regional Airport

West Michigan Regional Airport (WMRA) and BETA Technologies recently broke ground on the site of a multimodal electric charging system. BETA Technologies chose West Michigan Regional Airport as one of four Michigan airports to receive multimodal electric charging infrastructure as a part of a $2.6 million grant the company received from the state to accelerate Advanced Aerial Mobility (AAM) readiness and growth in Michigan. The multimodal, interoperable chargers will be compatible with a variety of electric aircraft and ground vehicles on-site at the airport.

BETA, the AAM grant recipient, is an electric aerospace company based in Vermont working to electrify aviation for the future. They also build and sell all-electric aircraft and charging infrastructure to enable this new mode of transportation. 

"Advanced air mobility has the power to change the way we move goods and people in a significant way,” said Nate Ward, Head of Charging Network Development, BETA Technologies. “In addition to reducing costs and emissions, it also increases operational safety and reliability. Michigan has a rich history of driving transformation in mobility, and we’re excited to bring this new aviation technology to West Michigan Regional Airport as the state continues to lean in and help shape the future of this industry and its communities.”

WMRA’s new charging infrastructure in Holland will be the only one of its kind in West Michigan.

Through the grant, WMRA will receive two chargers. BETA Technologies' Charge Cube offers 320kW of power with the ability to charge aircraft and ground vehicles within a 50-foot range. The second charger is BTC Power's commercial-grade L2 30 Amp dual-port charger, which offers 7.2 kW per port for electric vehicles and will be located in the terminal parking lot. The two chargers will enable WMRA to better serve airport visitors' electric transportation needs.

“We’re thrilled the team at BETA chose our airport as one of four Michigan airports to receive an electric charging setup. We’re excited about the opportunities this will provide our tenants, partners, visitors and community,” said Matthew Neyens, Airport Manager, West Michigan Regional Airport.

For more information, visit https://westmichiganregionalairport.com/.

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