Japan is quickly becoming a hub for eVTOL and air taxi technology. This morning, Archer Aviation announced it is the latest sustainable aviation developer to sign a deal in the region and implement aerial taxi transportation, beginning with Soracle Corporation’s purchase of up to 100 Midnight eVTOL aircraft.

As mentioned above, Japan, although slow in the uptake of all-electric vehicles, appears to be fully embracing the prospect of air taxi networks via electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. As far back as 2021, the Osaka Roundtable, a Japanese organization, announced a partnership with Germany’s Volocopter to strategize on how to develop and implement air taxi networks.

Other companies like SkyDrive have partnered with Japanese OEMs like Suzuki to help build its eVTOL aircraft overseas and even saw government funding in their ventures to continue advanced air mobility (AAM) development.

Earlier this week, Joby Aviation completed its first eVTOL test flight demonstration in Japan alongside executives from Toyota, a large investor. Today, California-based air taxi developer Archer Aviation announced it is joining its competitors overseas and already has its first customer lined up for a potentially large eVTOL order.

Archer forms joint venture to establish air taxis in Japan

Per Archer Aviation, it has signed a joint venture with Soracle Corporation, which itself was established this summer as a joint venture between Sumitomo Corporation and Japan Airlines, headquartered in Tokyo.

To get things started, Soracle intends to launch AAM operations in Japan using Archer’s flagship eVTOL aircraft in order to offer the public all-electric air taxi flights in cities where current ground vehicle transportation is constrained by traffic or geographic barriers.

As part of the joint venture, Soracle has secured the right to order up to 100 Midnight aircraft, totaling approximately $500 million. The terms of that potential purchase include pre-delivery payments based on certain milestones before the eVTOLs are delivered. Soracle CEO Yukihiro Ota shared his thoughts following a signing ceremony held between both companies on September 26, 2024:

Through the operation of eVTOL aircraft, Soracle aims to enrich lives and society by creating more accessible air transportation services in Japan. We will provide safe and reliable services to passengers by making the most of the wealth of knowledge we have accumulated at Japan Airlines and Sumitomo Corporation. Today’s announcement is a first step towards making the future we envision a reality.

To support its incoming fleet of Midnight eVTOLs from Archer, Soracle said it will develop a network of air taxi flight routes in attractive areas that residents, as well as domestic and international visitors, can utilize for speedier travel around Japan. The company hinted that those route locations could include notable metropolitan areas like Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Hokkaido, Setouchi, and Okinawa.

To begin commercializing AAM and air taxi services in Japan, Archer and Soracle shared joint plans to conduct a public flight demonstration at the World Expo to build public support, demonstrate the future of technology, and accelerate investments from stakeholders. The World Expo will take place in Osaka, Kansai, Japan, from April to October 2024.

With today’s news, Archer adds Soracle and Japan to its list of customers and partners around the world. A lineup that already includes Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, KaKaoMobility in Korea, and the United Arab Emirates.

What’s the Trump effect on the EV market? Depends: Newcomers like Rivian and Lucid are potentially at risk, while Tesla has the scale, profitability, and Trump connection to make it work, despite major shifts that are sure to come. Here’s the scoop on how a second Trump term may play out among automakers:

Yesterday’s market gives us a quick insight into how things may measure up in the EV industry – with Tesla of course being an outlier as Elon Musk heavily campaigned for Trump in crucial swing states and stands to gain considerably with his ties to the future president. Tesla shares soared by 15%. Meanwhile EV startups Rivian and Lucid saw shares drop yesterday by 5.3% and 8.3%, respectively.

“We see RIVN and LCID challenged, which is largely reflected in the stocks,” BofA Securities analyst John Murphy told CNBC. “We don’t expect meaningful issues for TSLA since it has already reached profitability and will introduce more entry level products that could be attractive for the larger public.”

Trump, who has been eager to denigrate EVs, has said that he’ll make quick work of rescinding the Environmental Protection Agency, modifying or ending altogether vehicle emissions standards. He has said too that vehicles made in Mexico would see as much as a 200% tariff, and vehicles from China, Europe, and elsewhere will likely see higher tariffs.

The future president may also eliminate many EV incentives, including purchase rebates and tax incentives that are part of Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. However, billions of dollars in investments into EV production under the IRA have been taking place in red states, such as South Carolina, Ohio, and Georgia, so it’s unlikely that everything is going away.

Rivian and Lucid shares take a tumble

Wedbush analysts say that all of this bad buzz, of course, won’t be good for EV startups such as Lucid and Rivian. “We believe a Trump presidency would be an overall negative for the EV industry as likely the EV rebates/tax incentives get pulled,” the Wedbush analysts said, as reported in CNBC.

After the election news yesterday, Tesla, Lucid, Rivian, and EV battery maker LG have all said that they are ready to work with Trump to ensure EV technology continues on pace, Reuters reports – but that will mean or how it will work is not yet clear. Of course, Musk’s role in all of this and his sway on Trump is yet to be determined since Tesla heavily relies on China as a production base and major market.

And the winners are… ICE makers GM, Ford, and Stellantis

Legacy automakers, particularly the Big Three in Detroit – General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler parent company Stellantis – will likely the biggest “winners” of Trump’s win, meaning they won’t have to decarbonize their portfolios and shift to EVs at any set pace, Reuters reports. Yesterday, shares of GM and Ford closed up 2.5% and 5.6%, respectively.

In other plans, Trump also wants to rescind California’s ability to set its own rules regarding vehicle emissions and requirements for BEV sales – he already did this in 2019, but Biden reinstated it. The state’s current requirements the “Advanced Clean Cars II” regulations of 2022 call for 35% of 2026 model year vehicles to be zero-emission vehicles. The California Air Resources Board has stated that 12 states and Washington, DC, have all adopted the rules, while half of them start with the 2027 model year. CARB’s regulations require 100% of new vehicle sales in California to be zero-emission models by 2035.

The American Trucking Association, the largest national trade association for the trucking industry,  jumped in to ask Trump to water down the EPA’s tailpipe emissions goals with a fresh set of standards that were “technologically achievable and account for the operational realities of our essential industry,” Reuters wrote.

Auto execs also expect Trump to roll back or freeze the Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, standards for model years during his term.

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On today’s episode of Quick Charge, I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords. I’d like to remind them that, as a trusted media personality, I can be helpful in rounding up others to toil in their underground sugar caves cobalt mines.

We’ve also got the world’s quickest police pursuit vehicle, an Amnesty International report highlighting Tesla and Mercedes’ efforts to improve worker conditions in the Congo, and an exploration of Trump voters’ love for solar power.

Today’s episode is sponsored by BLUETTI, a leading provider of portable power stations, solar generators, and energy storage systems. For a limited time, save up to 50% during BLUETTI’s exclusive Black Friday pre-sale, now through November 11. Learn more by clicking here.

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