French hybrid-electric aircraft manufacturer VoltAero initiated formal insolvency proceedings on October 7, 2025, at the commercial court in La Rochelle, after approximately $5.8 million in pledged equity capital from France’s ACI Group stalled due to ACI’s funding crisis.
The company, led by former Airbus executive Jean Botti, had been preparing to mass-produce its five-seat Cassio 330 hybrid-electric aircraft at its Rochefort facility in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, where it employs 35 people.
Despite the setback, VoltAero is accelerating plans to establish a U.S.-based subsidiary and actively seeking new investment to keep the program alive. The company maintains an order book of more than 280 units, including firm orders, agreements, and commitments across the regional air transport, air mobility, and business aviation sectors. A high-profile investment deal with Malaysia’s SEDC Energy had promised a new assembly hub in Asia, but collapsed when ACI encountered its own financial troubles. Botti characterized the situation as “unfortunate circumstances” and expressed confidence that new investors would be found.
Mr. Brink, I’m a long time KITPLANES subscriber – with a question. I’m also a former GA pilot (my father taught me how fly in US ARMY Navions) and US Navy “EWO (back seat F4 Phantoms) / also graduate of the US Navy Class “A” Electronics and Radar Schools; then in CIC aboard USS MIDWAY- CVA 41.
I’m going to ask a question that is indirectly very germane to your article above.
My question is– “…why there is such a huge reluctance in aviation magazines staff such as KITPLANES (in the past) – to receive validated documentation / information pertaining to an “alternative to battery packs” / electric power source for aircraft — because one has been invented (1982) / professional laboratory proven (1984) and US Patented (1992) — and is under final design and development for production.
The 1992 Patent is US 5,146,395 / A Power Supply Including Two Tank Circuits – with regenerative feedback.
In this day and age – it is commonly believed that no electric power supply technology exists that can supply enough totally clean electricity to power any aircraft for long range flight; because no such “battery” exists.
If however – you, or someone in your organization; has an “Electronics background”, which is decidedly different from an “Electricians” background: there is readily available validated documentation I can and will send you concerning just such an electric power supply.
The power supply is totally solid-state / 2.5 cu. ft. / 40 lb. / “stand-alone” – it has it’s own onboard “start-up” power source / developing up to and including 480 VDC or VAC / 600 Amps — which equals 288 kW absolute maximum — without requiring any fuel of any kind or type — or frequent recharging.
Presently Zero Electric Motorcycle Battery powered systems have been used to convert a couple of Xenos motor-gliders to electric power, and there are battery powered “trainers” available from Europe.
But they’re all powered with heavy battery pack.
A specific 400 VDC / 600 Amp (240 kW – 2.5 cu. ft. / 40 lb.) unit is being developed for vehicular use – which includes aircraft – of any size as the power supply can be connected together for more “power”.
The power supply accomplishes all of the above electrically – because it is the same exact circuit; used exactly the same way; used as the “resonant receiver circuit” found in every aircraft radio, plus every AM and / or FM Radio manufactured since Nikola Tesla invented and patented the circuit, while also discovering “resonance” – in 1894.
Tesla then combined the two into the resonant radio receiver in his invention and patenting of the Radio in 1900.
What is not well known – nor accepted yet by Classic Physicist – is the fact that every time a “tank circuit” is “tuned” to a specific incoming frequency – it “resonates” to that frequency – accomplishing two electric power levels simultaneously: — which is delineated in all well researched and written Electronics textbooks as being:
a.) “minimum impedance to current flow” – pertaining to the amount of power developed in the tank circuit, and;
b.) “maximum impedance to current flow” – pertaining to the amount of input power to the tank circuit.
These two validated and accepted operating conditions – by Electrical Engineers — in reality – develop the following operating conditions — any resonating tank circuit:
1.) internally develops it’s absolute maximum power level, while also
2.) “electrically reducing” the input signal strength connected to it — to it’s absolute minimum power level.
No Laws of anything are violated; broken; bent; or “even gotten close to” — because the absolute maximum developed power level is never exceeded or increased – but it drives Physicists nuts – because it “does what it does – and they have no explanation for it.
So – if you might be interested in having this information – I will send it to you direct – in the hopes that finally GA and kit building pilots, and “soon to be pilots” will know that an alternative to boat anchor battery packs will be available — and I’ll let you draw the logical conclusions.
I do not have a website as one has not been needed – as the reception here in the US has been vicious at the least – so the privately funded development is being simultaneously accomplished in the UK and in Switzerland — where they have more open minds.
The power supply unit is actually being developed as a retrofit-replacement for anything that either uses or produces “heat sourced” / fossil-based fuels (including Atomic) or Hydro-powered electricity in any stationary or movable site.
Yours Respectfully,
Scott McKie / The POD MOD Project / Gamma Star International LLC
— and for clarification — “Richard” (reference my Patent) is my legal first name.
Another one bites the dust….as they say. As all the readers of online aviation “news” with any technical knowledge and common sense have predicted. If electric/hybrid aircraft were in real demand, there would be no need for subsidies, investors, or fake environmental fear-mongering to sell them. America is once again, thanks our great President Trump, the world’s largest producer of fossil fuels, the ideal source of energy for aviation.