Stellantis-backed Archer Aviation has mapped out an air taxi network for NYC

The Archer Midnight could start flying folk from central Manhattan to nearby airports if the company’s mapped air taxi network of NYC gets implemented – though full disclosure: that 'if' is a big'un.

The Midnight is Archer’s electric-vertical-take-off-landing (eVTOL) craft featuring 12 electron-based engines and six lithium-ion battery packs (independently wired for redundancy), which wants to replace two-hour cab rides to the airport with 15-minute flights across the city once it has FAA certification.

The all-electric air taxi – manufactured exclusively by Stellantis as part of a $150m investment deal – is designed to carry five folk (including the pilot) more quietly and planet-friendly than a helicopter.

Within the NYC air taxi network – in partnership with United Airlines – Archer would utilise existing skyports in the city to fly customers to JFK, La Guardia, Newark, Republic, Teterboro and Westchester County airports. This isn’t the first city to be mapped by the ambitious outfit either. San Francisco and Los Angeles already have networks that Archer intends to deploy for tourists and residents alike. We can imagine the yellow cab protests already.

Despite the fairly minor caveats of ‘anything-could-happen-between-now-and-implementation’ and ‘we-haven’t-yet-achieved-full-permissions-to-fly’, Archer Aviation has made a reasonable amount of progress in its roadmap to The Fifth Element-style future of 'flying cars'. Hyundai’s Supernal remains a concept, but the Midnight has already completed its Final Airworthiness Criteria test and is currently tackling the compliance section of the Type Certification assessment.

You’ll notice we haven’t said how soon. That's because there are a couple more (steep and extensive) steps to full aviation approval – told you the 'if' was big. Obtaining such certification is quite rightly no mean (or quick) feat, but we'll let you know if (or when) things... take off.