Archer Aviation is set to bring "a new era of flight" across Japan with its eVTOL aircraft as it continues to expand its burgeoning international portfolio, per Composites World.
The eVTOL moniker actually stands for electric vertical takeoff and landing. Like a helicopter, eVTOL aircraft take off and land vertically, and Archer's new agreement may ultimately move the needle toward more connected communities.
In November, the United States-based company that designs eVTOL aircraft for urban air mobility networks revealed it had signed an agreement with Soracle Corp, a joint venture launched by Japan Airlines and Sumitomo Corp., for orders of up to 100 Midnight aircraft.
"Soracle aims to enrich lives and society by creating more accessible air transportation services in Japan," Yukihiro Ota, the head of the joint venture, said in the article. "We will provide safe and reliable services to passengers by making the most of the wealth of knowledge we have accumulated at Japan Airlines and Sumitomo Corp."
As part of efforts to commercialize advanced air mobility in Japan, Soracle will buy Archer's aircraft for roughly $500 million to offer "electric air taxi flights in cities where existing ground transportation is constrained by traffic or geographic barriers," per Composites World.
Midnight is designed for flights of 20 to 50 miles and could travel at up to 150 miles per hour, as Archer indicates on its website.
The eVTOL taxi routes will serve local residents, and Composites World suggested that international visitors would benefit from the air taxi services as well. Japan has received some criticism for its plans to hand out free flights to international tourists to help them explore less popular destinations across the territory, as Business Insider wrote in October.
As Carbone 4 writes, the global commercial aviation sector accounted for 2.6% of planet-warming pollution in 2018, but when including non-CO2 effects, like contrails (the clouds of vapor released by planes), it accounted for 5.1% of human-driven warming between 2000 and 2018.
However, investments in electric aircraft and other technologies can help move the needle toward a greener future for transportation, as eVTOLs don't release pollution into the atmosphere when operated.
🗣️ Which of the following sustainable changes would make you most likely to choose a particular airline?
🔘 Using cleaner fuel ⛽
🔘 Reducing in-flight waste 🗑️
🔘 Making it easy to choose low-emissions itineraries 📋
🔘 I don't pay attention to sustainability when I fly ✈️
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
Archer isn't the only company dreaming of a cleaner and more connected future. For example, Eviation Aircraft has already sold over $5 billion of its all-electric commuter aircraft, Alice, which has since its launch in 2022 completed more than 400 runs under test conditions.
Now, Japan is helping to lead the way with its deal with Archer. The company and Soracle intend to conduct a public flight demonstration at the 2025 World Expo in Osaka.
"Japan is widely respected for its forward-thinking approach to transportation and this investment into AAM is yet another example of that," Archer senior director of business development Andrew Cummins said, per Composites World. "We're proud to stand with Soracle ahead of this new era of flight."
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