Stellantis will participate in the construction of the flying taxis of Archer.
And the two partners have set themselves ambitious goals.
2,300 devices produced per year
The car manufacturer Stellantis, the result of the merger between the PSA Group and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, wants to ensure its future in new transport technologies. He has just announced his intention to significantly expand » its partnership with the Californian manufacturer ofeVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing), electric aircraft with vertical take-off and landing.
These devices are the basis of a future flying taxi service that the American company wants to set up. Together, they will assemble the aircraft from 2024 eVTOL Midnight in the city of Covington, Georgia, with a production target of 2,300 units per year.
The Midnigt, which can accommodate up to 4 passengers and fly a distance of 161 kilometres, will be used to ensure chain trips of around 30 kilometers each. They will be able to recharge their batteries between races over a period of 10 minutes.
Stellantis increases its stake in Archer Aviation
And this ambition will be supported by significant funding from Stellantis. The group is thus increasing its stake in Archer Aviation, and will provide its partner with up to 150 million dollars. An envelope to be used in 2023 and 2024 in order to reach the important stages of the development of the technology.
The group chaired by Carlos Tavares aims to ” mass-produce Archer’s eVTOL aircraft as an exclusive contract manufacturer “, while leaving the controls to the American management. This is why Stellantis’ share in its capital will remain a minority. ” We are here to support, not to control summed up the Portuguese CEO.
The flying taxi market is currently booming. In Europe, aircraft should start flying by 2025, while in the United States, the first airworthiness criteria for these machines have just been proposed by the authorities.
Source : Reuters
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