Carmaker Stellantis invests millions in electric 'flying taxis'

Carmaking giant Stellantis wants to mass produce "air taxis" designed to carry a handful of passengers on short trips high above road traffic, the company announced this week. It plans to invest up to $150 million in Archer Aviation, which has developed an electric aircraft that can take off and land vertically.

This image released by Stellantis shows Archer's vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, called Midnight. © AFP - HANDOUT

Stellantis will help build Archer's vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) Midnight aircraft, the two firms said, with a production target of 2,300 aircraft per year.

Carmakers are flocking to invest in air taxis to ferry travellers to airports or on short trips between cities.

The Midnight aircraft, which takes off like a helicopter using rotors and then propels forward like a plane, can carry four passengers and a pilot.

It is designed to make back-to-back trips of around 30 kilometres each, recharging for approximately 10 minutes in between.

Production is expected to begin in 2024 in Georgia in the United States, according to a joint statement by Archer and Stellantis. 

One of the first customers is United Airlines, which has pre-ordered 200 of the electric aircraft with a view to using them to shuttle its passengers between US airports and city centres.

'Uber of the skies'

Archer envisions an age of aerial ride-sharing, an "Uber or Lyft of the skies", Vice President Louise Bristow told French news agency AFP last year.

"Imagine flying from London to Newark, New Jersey, then getting in an Archer and being deposited somewhere in Manhattan," Bristow said.

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While several companies are working on air taxis, none of the aircraft are in commercial service yet, pending approval by aviation regulators.

Toyota, Porsche and Hyundai are among the major carmakers investing in eVTOL development.

In November, European planemaker Airbus forged a partnership with French carmaker Renault to develop a new generation of electric batteries and hybrid technology for cars and planes.

(with wires)