Starting from 2023, could we see flying cars roaming the skies above our heads? It’s a possibility, thanks to a potentially game-changing business deal.
Archer, the electric aviation company, has signed a manufacturing deal with automobile giant Fiat Chrysler to mass-produce its airborne vehicles as soon as 2023.
These vehicles are 100% powered by electricity and feature multiple rotors that facilitate vertical take-off and landing. They will specialise in short-haul electric aviation, capable of carrying four people at a maximum speed of 150 miles per hour for 60 miles. These are just the first steps towards electrical aviation becoming mainstream, as a market that is estimated to be worth $1.5 trillion by 2040. Adam Goldstein, the co-founder of Archer, said that mass-production will “change the way people travel in and around cities forever” and it’s not hard to see why.
The deal between the two companies will allow Archer to benefit from Fiat Chrysler’s low-cost supply chain, advanced composite material capabilities, and engineering and design experience. The pair have already collaborated on the design of the cockpit, and the vehicle is set for its official unveiling in early 2021 — so we won’t have to wait long to get a close-up look of the revolutionary tech.
Related: The Tesla Model 3 beat fossil fuel rivals to become the UK’s most popular car in December
Optimists hope that flying electric cars will reduce pollution, noise, and congestion in urban areas, making cities far more pleasant to live in for all inhabitants. It’s incredible to imagine that a airborne mass transit system isn’t too far away in the future — and in the meantime, landborne electric car sales continue to impress as well. In the UK, sales of Battery Electric Vehicles were up by 343.7% in 2020 compared to the previous year. So whether on the ground or in the air, it’s clear that electricity will gradually overtake the fossil fuel automobile industry in the followng years and decades.
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