The automaker has teamed with Archer Aviation to manufacture electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft for urban mobility.
Archer Aviation Inc. and Stellantis N.V. have announced progress in their groundbreaking strategic manufacturing partnership between automotive and aerospace firms.
The partnership is intended to eventually produce the first electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft at scale, leading the way to urban air mobility. The companies plan to begin manufacturing the ”Midnight” aircraft in 2024. The aircraft is reported to have a payload of more than 1,000 pounds, making it able to carry four passengers plus a pilot. With a range of 100 miles, the electric aircraft is meant for back-to-back short distance trips of around 20 miles, with a charging time of approximately 10 minutes in-between.
Construction is well underway on the world’s first high-volume eVTOL aircraft manufacturing facility located on an approximately 100-acre campus in Covington, G.A., Stellantis recently increased its strategic shareholding through a series of purchases of Archer stock in the open market.
“The Stellantis and Archer teams are moving full speed ahead in execution mode to ensure we meet our goal of bringing scalable manufacturing of Archer’s aircraft online in mid-2024,” said Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares. “We believe this unique partnership is setting the standard for cross-industry collaboration and continues to be a key pillar of our strategy to ensure Stellantis leads the way the world moves, providing freedom of mobility in all ways.”
Archer brings expertise in eVTOL, electric powertrain and certification while Stellantis will contribute advanced manufacturing technology and expertise, experienced personnel and about $150 million in capital.
The two companies hope this partnership leads to the rapid scaling of aircraft production while avoid hundreds of millions of dollars of spending during the manufacturing ramp up phase. The goal is for Stellantis to mass produce Archer’s eVTOL aircraft as its exclusive contract manufacturer. There are now experienced Stellantis personnel working full time alongside the Archer team, supporting operational readiness with the current focus being on manufacturing automation and component sourcing. Stellantis personnel are embedded across almost all areas of Archer’s operations, including manufacturing, engineering, supply chain, quality, facilities and human resources.
“At Archer, our goal is not just to get to commercialization, but to achieve it at scale. High-volume manufacturing is critical to ensuring we can meet this goal, and joining forces with one of the leading mobility companies in the world is helping us realize the once-in-a-generation opportunity we have to redefine urban transportation,” said Archer’s founder and CEO, Adam Goldstein, in a release.
Safran Electronics & Defense is another partner in the project, with Archer using Safran’s ultra-compact avionics platform (UCAP), flight control computer (FCC) and SkyNaute navigation system, which are both used in Archer’s Midnight eVTOL aircraft.
Equipped with a multi-core processor, Safran’s UCAP provides high-performance computing capabilities, as well as high-integrity and safety features. SkyNaute adheres to the safety and reliability requirements necessary for certification by relying on mature and proven technologies such as HRG Crystal (Hemispherical Resonator Gyroscopes). This innovative navigation system achieves high performance and integrity while providing a 35 percent reduction in size and weight when compared to alternatives.
Initial manufacturing operations will be capable of producing up to 650 aircraft per year with room for expansion of up to 2,300 aircraft per year. Manufacturing aircraft at these volumes would make this site the world’s leading aircraft manufacturing facility by volume.
