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Fiat Chrysler Backs Archer’s eVTOL Aircraft

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is partnering with eVTOL developer Archer to provide composite materials and engineering support for the four-passenger aircraft due to be unveiled this year, the companies announced today. The U.S.-based carmaker, which has not disclosed whether it is making a direct investment in Archer, is following the lead of Asian rivals Hyundai and Toyota, which have both made big financial commitments to the advanced air mobility sector.

California-based Archer, which was launched in May, plans to start volume production of its unnamed aircraft by 2023 and begin commercial operations it describes as “airline” service in 2024. This year, it expects to begin flight testing a full-scale prototype for the all-electric fixed-wing aircraft, which is expected to fly up to 60 miles at speeds of 150 mph.

In today's announcement, FCA—which makes Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram vehicles—did not say whether it will actually manufacture Archer’s aircraft. “Archer will benefit from FCA’s low-cost supply chain and advanced composite material capability, and design and engineering expertise,” a spokesman for Archer told AIN. “We have already tapped into FCA’s extensive design expertise, collaborating with the company on elements of the cockpit design of our first full-scale aircraft.”