Líder to represent flying car rival to Embraer’s Eve in Brazil

CEO Júnia Hermont said the agreement grants Líder exclusive rights to sell Beta’s aircraft in Brazil, and also establishes the company as the authorized maintenance hub for Beta’s fleet in the country. As part of the deal, Líder signed a firm order for three aircraft, along with options for an additional 50 units. At list prices, the full order could total up to $240 million.

“We’ve spent over six years evaluating new types of aircraft for urban air mobility. We’ve reviewed many proposals, including from companies that failed to move forward. Two years ago, we deepened our analysis and hired a technical team to assess both performance and feasibility,” Ms. Hermont explained.

She emphasized that while the agreement represents a firm partnership with Beta, it does not exclude the possibility of adding other eVTOL models to Líder’s fleet in the future, including those developed by Eve. Líder currently represents HondaJet and also operates Embraer aircraft.

Unlike Beta, Eve does not work with third-party sales representatives in Brazil and manages all commercialization in-house. This gave Líder an opening to strike a deeper partnership with Beta.

Brazil is seen as a prime market for eVTOLs, given the country’s vast executive aviation fleet and its urban mobility infrastructure challenges. Brazil currently has the second-largest general aviation fleet in the world, behind only the United States, with over 10,000 aircraft in operation.

Beta’s entry into the Brazilian market through Líder marks its first official move into the home turf of Eve.

The startup is currently developing two aircraft: the CX300 (eCTOL), with a list price of approximately $3.75 million, and the ALIA 250 (eVTOL), priced at around $4.75 million. Both aircraft have similar designs and can seat up to five passengers plus a pilot.

Ms. Hermont highlighted the broader impact of electric aircraft technology: “The future is clean energy. The aviation sector has committed to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. We must act now,” she said.

In May, Líder became the first executive aviation company in Brazil to complete a flight using sustainable aviation fuel, with a 10% SAF mix powering a helicopter. The fuel was purchased from Vibra, the first distributor to make SAF commercially available in Brazil, imported from Europe.

Beyond environmental gains, electric aircraft are expected to significantly reduce operating costs compared to combustion-engine aircraft.

While Líder is still studying the best model for operating electric aircraft in Brazil, the company envisions a range of use cases: airport-to-airport routes, urban and regional flights, air ambulance services, cargo delivery, and on-demand corporate travel. The new aircraft are seen as complementary to its existing fleet of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.

The CX300 has already undergone crewed test flights in New York, and Beta expects U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification by 2026. The ALIA 250 is projected to receive FAA approval in 2027. Given the strong cooperation between Brazil’s aviation authority, ANAC, and the FAA, Brazilian certification is expected to follow shortly thereafter.

Eve, for its part, also aims to certify its eVTOL in Brazil by 2027 and is working with the FAA to secure dual certification.

After a wave of investor enthusiasm in the eVTOL sector, which saw hundreds of startups emerge worldwide, the industry is entering a consolidation phase. Some ventures have collapsed or stalled, while others, like Eve and Beta, have reached more advanced development stages and secured substantial funding.