Stellantis and Archer share progress update of massive eVTOL production facility in US
Over six months after expanding upon an existing partnership to bring mass production of eVTOLs to the US, Stellantis and Archer Aviation have shared a progress update. The partnership has now moved from the “concept phase” to the “execution phase” as its high-volume eVTOL production facility continues construction in Georgia.
Stellantis ($STLA) is a name we cover often on Electrek, both good and bad – but it wasn’t until earlier this year that we started covering electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft developer Archer Aviation ($ACHR) and its “Midnight” vessel, which was unveiled last December.
Since its inception in 2018, Archer Aviation has established working relationships with United Airlines, Stellantis, and the United States Air Force. Building off these early relationships with some big hitters in aviation and high-volume production, Archer shared plans to manufacture the Midnight aircrafts at a new facility in Covington, Georgia.
This past January, we learned that existing partner Stellantis is opening up its wallet to help erect the US facility and get the Midnight eVTOLs into the air by 2024. Today, from the 2023 Paris Air Show, the partners shared a progress update with the public, which includes construction, collaboration, and fresh stock acquisition.
Stellantis to help support up to 2,300 eVTOLs per year
The two companies shared the progress update via press release this morning, coinciding with a public display of Archer’s Midnight eVTOL at the 2023 Paris Air Show. According to Stellantis, construction of the eVTOL manufacturing facility is underway amongst roughly 100 acres in Georgia.
As the manufacturing facilities are erected and opened, Archer and Stellantis plan to leverage their respective strengths – eVTOL design and development and high-volume vehicle manufacturing, respectively – to rapidly scale US production and achieve Urban Air Mobility (UAM) commercialization. Archer founder and CEO Adam Goldstein spoke:
At Archer, our goal is not just to get to commercialization, but to achieve it at scale. High-volume manufacturing is critical to ensuring we can meet this goal and joining forces with one of the leading mobility companies in the world is helping us realize the once-in-a-generation opportunity we have to redefine urban transportation. I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve already accomplished with this partnership as we continue to lead the industry in building out manufacturing capabilities.
Building off its existing relationship with the eVTOL developer, Stellantis shared it has also increased its strategic shareholding of Archer Aviation through a series of stock purchases on the open market. The automotive conglomerate did not immediately share details of the size of those stock purchases but said it intends to remain a minority shareholder.
Stellantis states that it has experienced personnel from its own team working full-time alongside the group at Archer Aviation to work through vital areas for scaled commercialization, including manufacturing automation, engineering, supply chain sourcing, and human resources. Together, the parties intend to bring the Georgia facility online by mid-2024. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares also spoke to the progress of the partnership:
We believe this unique partnership is setting the standard for cross-industry collaboration and continues to be a key pillar of our strategy to ensure Stellantis leads the way the world moves, providing freedom of mobility in all ways. With our trusted teams onsite working shoulder-to-shoulder with Archer, I have no doubt that we are on the right path.
Stellantis finished up by sharing that initial manufacturing operations in Georgia are expected to produce up to 650 eVTOL aircraft per year with room for expansion to support up to 2,300 in all. According to the automaker, manufacturing eVTOLs at those max volumes would make the US site the world’s leading aircraft manufacturing facility by volume. The partners provided the following video of the US eVTOL manufacturing site in addition to the renderings seen above. Check it out.
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DHL Express has more than 10,000 eSprinter vans in its global delivery fleet, but none of those have been deployed in North America – until now, that is! The company recently added 45 new Mercedes eSprinter panel vans, and they’ve got plans for plenty more!
While Mercedes offers its eSprinters with a promised 206 mile estimated range, DHL says it’s consistently seen them exceed 240 miles in stop-and-go delivery duty, making them the longest-range battery electric vehicles in DHL’s US fleet.
This extended capacity makes them ideally suited for urban logistics while expanding their potential use in longer delivery routes. The eSprinter vans also offer the same massive cargo capacity as their diesel-powered brothers, making them efficient last-mile delivery solutions that don’t compromise on payload or operational reliability.
And, of course, the eSprinter will do all of that without the noise, vibration, and harmful carbon emissions of diesel.
“Electrifying our fleet is one of the most visible and impactful ways we are moving toward a more sustainable future,” explains Greg Hewitt, CEO of DHL Express, US. “The Mercedes-Benz eSprinter brings an extended range and proven cargo capabilities that allow us to serve our customers with zero emissions, while also advancing our global goal of more sustainable logistics. These vehicles not only strengthen our operations in major US cities but also set the stage for future electric fleet growth across the Americas.”
The 45 eSprinters will see deployment in Chicago, Indiana, and Pittsburg, and will act as a first step DHL’s global Sustainability Roadmap, which will see the company electrify 66% of its last-mile US delivery fleet (and some of its long-haul fleet operations) by 2030.
Electrek’s Take
In addition to these 45 vans, DHL is electrifying its European and Asian delivery fleets, ramping up its sustainable aviation fuel use, and even exploring electric semis, eVTOL and hybrid aircraft deliveries, and more.
In short, they’re doing the right thing – or seem to be, anyway. Whether or not that commitment to decarbonization will win them more American customers remains to be seen.
SOURCE | IMAGES: DHL, via PR Newswire.
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Enphase Energy just launched a new off-grid system that lets homeowners power their homes without a utility connection – even for extended periods. The California-based Enphase says the off-grid setup delivers a seamless way to live independently from the grid while still using solar, batteries, and a standby AC generator.
A full off-grid setup
The new system combines Enphase’s IQ Battery 5P with embedded grid-forming microinverters, IQ8 Series Microinverters with Sunlight JumpStart, and a third-party standby AC generator. The components work together to supply power to a home and automatically manage energy sources to maximize efficiency and reliability.
If the batteries are drained and the generator runs out of fuel, the Sunlight JumpStart feature can automatically recharge the batteries the next morning once the sun comes up.
The IQ Battery 5P delivers 3.84 kVA of power per 5 kWh of capacity, and systems can be scaled up to 40 kWh and 15.4 kVA. That’s enough power to start big household appliances like HVAC systems or water pumps. The IQ System Controller 3G provides the backbone, managing solar, batteries, and generator inputs to deliver up to 46 kVA of off-grid power.
Smarter control and connectivity
Each system connects to the cloud through Enphase’s IQ Combiner 5C HDK, which bundles solar interconnection, communications, and metering into one box. For homes without reliable broadband, the built-in 4G LTE Cat 4 modem keeps the system online for monitoring, firmware updates, and remote support.
Homeowners can manage everything from the Enphase App – from solar generation and battery status to generator integration and load control.
Why it matters
As grid outages become more common and homeowners look for ways to gain energy independence, off-grid systems like this are becoming more appealing.
“With the launch of our off-grid solution, we are giving homeowners a reliable path to complete energy independence,” said Nitish Mathur, Enphase’s SVP of customer experience. Enphase says over 100 homes are already operating entirely off-grid using its technology. The company plans to expand availability beyond the US in 2026.
Read more: Battery boom: 5.6 GW of US energy storage added in Q2
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Global offshore wind targets are still strong enough to triple global capacity by 2030, despite the US’s offshore wind stagnation under Trump. A new analysis from energy think tank Ember and the Global Offshore Wind Alliance (GOWA) shows that the rest of the world is charging forward, underscoring confidence in offshore wind as a cornerstone of future clean energy systems.
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