Archer begins construction on Covington manufacturing facility

Archer Aviation has begun construction on its Georgia-based manufacturing facility, closing the local incentive transaction.

The planned approximately 350,000sqft facility, located adjacent to the Covington Municipal Airport, will be capable of producing up to 650 aircraft per year. This type of high-volume manufacturing facility is believed to be a first for the eVTOL industry, said Archer. The factory will also be capable of being expanded by an additional 800,000sqft, which could support long-term production targets of up to 2,300 aircraft per year.

The news follows Archer’s recent announcement it had expanded its relationship with automaker Stellantis, owner of brands like Jeep, Ram and Maserati, under which the two companies will join forces to manufacture Archer’s production aircraft, Midnight.

Adam Goldstein, Archer’s founder and CEO, said: “We are thrilled to be taking this next important step as we work closely with Stellantis to ramp up our high-volume manufacturing capabilities at this new facility in Covington, GA. The key to unlocking the promise of what the eVTOL aircraft industry can bring is scale, and we are thrilled by the support the State of Georgia and Newton County are providing to this first of its kind facility in such an exciting new industry.”

Stellantis will contribute advanced manufacturing technology, expertise, personnel and capital to Archer. The partnership is intended to enable the rapid scaling of aircraft production, while allowing Archer to strengthen its path to commercialisation because it avoids millions of dollars of spending during the ramp up phase. 

The plan is for Stellantis to mass produce Archer’s eVTOL aircraft as its exclusive contract manufacturer.

Meanwhile, check back on Revolution.Aero tomorrow, Archer will report its fourth quarter and full-year 2022 financial results.