Global automaker Stellantis to produce “air taxis” electric vehicles developed by the American aviation company Archer, announced the firm this Wednesday at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) technology fair in Las Vegas.
Stellantis will also invest up to 150 million dollars in the takeoff plane and Archer vertical landing gear (eVTOL), designed to carry four passengers in addition to the pilot, the company said in a news release.
Dubbed “Midnight,” the aircraft resembles a small plane with multiple rotors on its wings. and is designed to make trips of about 30 kilometers with a recharge time of 10 minutes between each trip.
Archer envisions an era of shared air travel, an “Uber or Lyft from the skies,” its vice president, Louise Bristow, told AFP last year.
Both groups had already partnered in 2021, but on a more limited scalefor Stellantis to provide technical assistance and access to its supply chain.
This time, Stellantis is expected to manufacture -exclusively- Archer’s aircraft at its Covington, Georgia, plant in the eastern United States.
The partnership allows Archer to accelerate production of the aircraft, which is expected to begin in 2024. The firm also expects to save “hundreds of millions of dollars in expenses” from increased production thanks to Stellantis’ expertise.
Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said in the statement that he is “continually impressed.” for Archer’s “wits” and his “unwavering commitment to deliver.”
Deepening the partnership between the two companies “It demonstrates how Stellantis is pushing the boundaries to deliver sustainable mobility freedom, from the road to the sky,” he continued.
The move “puts Archer in a strong position to be first to market,” Adam Goldstein, Archer’s founder and CEO, stressed in the statement.
“Our two companies are taking these important steps together to seize a once-in-a-generation opportunity. to redefine urban transportation,” he added.
Archer has already received an advance order from United Airlines for 200 aircraft.
