. >> reporter: fortunately, flying these planes isn't rocket science, as beta pilot chris caputo showed me in beta's simulator. >> fly over the lake? >> absolutely. now we are going to transition on to the wing of the plane. >> okay. >> just push forward with your right hand a little bit, forward pressure. now we are just flying on the wing of the plane. we are literally just sipping energy. >> reporter: after 20 simulated minutes flying over simulated lake champlain, it was time to simulated land. touchdown. >> thank you for flying air pogue. >> you're very welcome. >> we know you have a choice when it comes to electric aircraft. actually you don't. >> reporter: beta and archer received millions of dollars worth of orders from various airlines and military branches. both of them plus an air taxi company called joby have already delivered planes to the air force. all three companies expect to receive faa approval and begin flying in the u.s. next year. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: on the day of our visit, beta technologies unveiled its new factory, the first electric plane plant

. >> reporter: our pilot, chris caputo. >> step on it! >> i can't do anything else, david.u have been able to watch cool looking electric plane videos on youtube created by some of the 300 companies who are working on them. but beta technologies in burlington, vermont, is unique. >> i believe we are the only company flying people. >> reporter: kyle clark is the ceo and founder. the plane carries six people and flies 250 miles on one charge. >> but every year batteries get better and better. about 7% per year. that means in seven years, we will double that. another seven years, we will double that again. >> reporter: you think before you and i die that we will fly on an electric powered jetliner? >> yes. absolutely. >> reporter: traditional airplanes pump out about a billion tons of carbon dioxide every year. electric planes produce no emissions. >> one of the things that i think is underappreciated in electric aviation is that it's quiet. you can actually hear the wind noise over the fuselage. you feel like a bird. >> reporter: electric motors are simpler than jet engines.