American eVTOL company Archer Aviation is set to complete construction of its nearly 400,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Covington, Georgia by the end of the year.
Archer’s facility will support the production of 650 of its eVTOL Midnight aircrafts annually, in partnership with automotive manufacturer Stellantis.
The company plans to invest $118 million in the American facility over the next 10 years and create more than 1,000 jobs in the process.
“The first phase of our factory build out is an approximately 350,000 square foot facility on our approximate 100 acre site,” Archer Vice President of Operations Glen Burks told Zag Daily. “It’s designed to support up to 650 aircrafts annually which would make it one of the largest manufacturing facilities by volume in the aircraft industry.
“The facility will be capable of being expanded by an additional 550,000 square feet, which is estimated to support production of up to 2,300 aircrafts per year.”
Phase two of the construction involves the erection of exterior walls and roof which is nearing completion. Archer is expected to complete phase three (the interior fit out) and phase four (loading equipment and power on) in the coming months.
The company’s Midnight eVTOL aircraft is built around Archer’s proprietary electric powertrain and can carry up to four passengers, a pilot and carry-on luggage. It can travel at speeds of up to 150 miles per hour, and is 100 times quieter than a helicopter at cruising altitude.
“Designing and engineering Midnight to be the best eVTOL product possible is critical to our mission,” Burks said. “However, scaling our manufacturing quickly, safely and cost effectively is just as important.
“Our upcoming factory is the tool that we plan to use to bring Midnight into reality at scale.”
