(Credit: Archer Aviation)Stellantis and Archer Aviation Inc. will expand their partnership by working together to develop Midnight, Archer’s flagship electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
In 2020, Stellantis became a "strategic partner" of Archer. The company began investing in the firm in 2021 and intends to increase its interest through open-market purchases of Archer shares. In 2024, Stellantic and Archer plan to begin manufacturing the Midnight aircraft at Archer's manufacturing facility in Covington, Georgia. The goal is for Stellantis to mass produce Archer’s eVTOL aircraft as its exclusive contract manufacturer.
According to Stellantis, eVTOLs are a style of aircraft that has gained popularity among entrepreneurs in the transportation industry. It has a range of 100 miles but is designed for 20-minute rides with a 10-minute charging break in between. Lift is achieved by using several wing-mounted tiny rotors. The Archer is designed to have a cargo capacity of more than 1,000 pounds as well as the capacity for four passengers and a pilot.
In 2020, DHL Express ordered 12 all-electric Alice eCargo planes from Eviation, maker of the world’s first all-electric aircraft. The cargo planes are expected to be delivered in 2024. DHL set out to become the climate leader among its peers — something it refers to as its “GoGreen” journey. To that end, its goal is to cut its logistics-related emissions to zero by 2050.
On a larger scale, in the second half of 2022, Air Canada placed an order for 30 hybrid aircrafts from Heart Aerospace. The plane has an all-electric range of 124 miles, which is doubled when coupled with conventional fuels. It flies at a height of 20,000 feet and will transport 30 people to and from smaller airports.
The worldwide electric aircraft market is growing rapidly and will continue to expand in the coming years. Electric aircraft are propelled by electric motors, with power provided by a variety of means, including batteries, solar cells, fuel cells, power beaming, and ground power connections. Current analysis by Allied Market Research lists the following companies as additional key players in the global electric aircraft market:
