Electric vehicles are on the rise as it is advertised as a more sustainable way of transportation. Air transportation is catching up as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certifies Archer's first electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, Midnight.
FAA-Certified Midnight eVTOL
Archer is a California-based aviation company that has been conducting four years of flight testing including two years of full-scale flight testing. Soon, the company will be testing with the FAA for the next step in taking the vehicle to market.
Archer founder Adam Goldstein says that for the next year and a half, the company will be focused on "continuing to advance our flight test program rapidly and Archer's electric air taxi operations as we prepare to bring Midnight to market in 2025," as per Interesting Engineering.
Once it becomes a more widely-used vehicle for transportation, it can serve as a more convenient option for getting to destinations more quickly. The Midnight aircraft is able to seat four people, just like most ride-hailing vehicles on the streets.
The aircraft functions with six independent batteries, which support a pair of electric engines that power Midnight's 12 rotors. At full speed, the eVTOL can travel up to 150 mph. Although it is an impressive speed, the more important factor is how far it can go.
Archers plans on using Midnight as a way to travel between cities. It is capable of flying back to back about 20 miles, given that it is given time to charge for 12 minutes after each flight. However, Archer claims it can fly up to 100 miles in a single flight.
As for its payload capacity, it can carry around 1,000 pounds during flight, which is enough for dour people and a few baggage. But. it does limit the aircraft from traveling farther distances than just flying between cities.
The company says that Midnight can take a passenger to their destination in just 10-20 minutes, while ground vehicles with the same starting point and destination will take about 60-90 minutes. As for costs, it is said to be "competitive with ground-based ride share."
Other than it being a more eco-friendly air transportation, it also doesn't function like most air-based vehicles. Since it is an eVTOL, it won't need a runway before it can take flight, meaning it will not take space.
Lilium's Private Electric Jet
While Archer aims to enter the market as an air taxi, Lilium is developing an eVTOL that's more suited for people who want to fly privately. Just like Midnight, Lilium's eVTOL also operates with zero carbon emissions.
Archer already managed to acquire the certification from the FAA. Lilium, while still working on its way to being certified, aims to get a dual certification from both the FAA and the EASA. The company has designed, built, and tested five generations of technology demonstrators since 2015.
The jet has various seat configurations, one with four seats and the other with six. Of course, the electric private jet will cost a lot more to rent, especially to purchase. Lilium's eVTOL is priced at $10 million, which is almost twice the price of an average gas-powered jet.
