Stellantis partners with Archer Aviation to build eVTOL craft
The four-seater electric aircraft will arrive in 2024 with a 100-mile range
Car giant Stellantis will join forces with US-based firm Archer Aviation to manufacture an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
Stellantis, which owns several car manufacturers including Citroën, Peugeot and Fiat, will build Archer’s Midnight eVTOL craft at a facility in Georgia in the US.
The four-seater Midnight electric aircraft will arrive in 2024 with a 100-mile range and has been optimised to run back-to-back short distance trips of around 20 miles. Charging takes approximately 10 minutes.
Stellantis will also invest up to $150 million in Archer between 2023 and 2024, although this is subject to Archer meeting certain business milestones. The car giant will also increase its shareholding in the aviation company.
Archer hopes that the partnership will help the firm scale up its aircraft production, while also strengthening its path to commercialisation.
“We’ve been working closely with Archer for the past two years, and I am continually impressed by their ingenuity and unwavering commitment to deliver,” said Carlos Tavares, Stellantis CEO.
“Deepening our partnership with Archer as a strategic investor with plans for growing our shareholding demonstrates how Stellantis is pushing the boundaries to provide sustainable freedom of mobility, from the road to the sky.”
*READ MORE*
*Subscribe to the Move Electric newsletter*
*e-CARS*
*E-cars news and reviews*
*Living with a Citroën Ami*
*Ten electric cars we're excited for in 2023*
*Getting an EV sideways: how easy is it to drift a Kia EV6 GT?*
*Q&A: Jaguar Racing's Sam Bird and Mitch Evans on Formula E's new era*
*e-BIKES*
*E-bike reviews and news*
*Ten electric bikes we're excited for in 2023*
*Can you get fit using an electric bike?*
*Gocycle G4i e-bike review*
*e-MOTORBIKES*
*E-motorbike reviews and news*
*Ten electric motorbikes we're excited for in 2023*
*Super Soco TC Max electric motorbike review*
*Cake and Polestar team up for new special edition Makka e-motorbike*
*e-SCOOTERS*
*E-scooter news and reviews*
*Planned laws to legalise private e-scooters face delay*
*Five key takeaways from the rental e-scooter trials report*
*Which train firms have banned e-scooters from their services?*
*e-WORLD*
*E-world news*
*Move Electric's best features of 2022: lap records, tuk-tuks… and sausage rolls*
*Volvo Trucks keeps on electric trucking with three new models*
*VIDEO: Watch Move Electric's epic e-race across London*