Both Archer and Joby named to White House's eVTOL pilot program
Although Joby Aviation, Inc. (JOBY) sued Archer Aviation Inc. (ACHR) in November for alleged "corporate espionage," and Archer countersued Joby this week while accusing it of having ties to China, the two bitter rivals are now coming together as part of the Trump Administration's Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Integration Pilot Program (eIPP).
Both Joby and Archer were selected to take part in a selected number of the eight projects that will be a part of the eVTOL pilot program, which is being overseen by the US Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The eIPP will happen in 26 US states beginning this summer.
The pilot program was announced as part of President Trump's executive order in June in which he called for “unleashing American drone dominance."
The Trump administration is seeking to build out these “emerging technologies” in order to “modernize methods for cargo delivery, passenger transport, and other advanced air mobility capabilities.”
The FAA said the program “will create one of the largest real-world testing environments for next-generation aircraft in the world,” while also “offering the American people an exciting window into the future of aviation." It noted too that "data from the pilot projects will be used by the FAA to develop new regulations that safely enable this futuristic technology at scale.”
The pilot projects are expected to run for three years after the first one becomes operational.
“Thanks to President Trump, the future of aviation is here — and it’s going to dramatically improve how people and products move,” US Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said in a statement. “Congratulations to the great American innovators behind each of these exciting pilot programs.
“Working together, we will ensure America leads the way in safely leveraging next-gen aircraft to radically redefine personal travel, regional transportation, cargo logistics, emergency medicine, and so much more.”
Both Archer and Joby will be working with the Texas Department of Transportation, the Florida Department of Transportation and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey as part of the program.
Archer will be preparing for flights of its forthcoming Midnight aircraft under the eIPP. The initiatives it will undertake will include standing up local operating teams, as well as developing the infrastructure and procedures to ensure safe and measured deployment of its eVTOL aircraft.
“This is the clearest sign yet from the White House, the FAA and the DOT that bringing air taxis to market in the United States is a real priority,” Archer founder and CEO Adam Goldstein said in a statement. “We appreciate Secretary Duffy and (FAA) Administrator (Bryan) Bedford’s leadership and are excited to bring Midnight to the skies of some of America’s largest cities.”
In addition to the three projects it will be sharing with Archer, Joby will also be working with the Utah Department of Transportation and the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
“This is a defining moment for American innovation,” Joby founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt said in a statement. “Instead of just reading about the future of flight, communities across America are going to be able to see it in the skies above their own cities this year.”
He added that “electric air taxis flying real routes are a powerful demonstration of American leadership in action, and proof that we’re building the next golden age of aviation right here in the US.”