Playing the ACES card: Archer plays a winning hand as it launches consortium to advance air taxi services
A collaboration between Archer Aviation, BETA Technologies and Macquarie Capital has seen the launch of America’s Consortium for Electric Skyways (ACES) to accelerate the future of electric aviation.
As the long race to launch air taxi services rumbles on, Archer Aviation has partnered with BETA Technologies and Macquarie Capital to announce America’s Consortium for Electric Skyways (ACES). Collectively, the consortium aims to electrify up to 250 air taxi sites across the US’s largest airports and metro areas over the next decade.
Archer plays a winning hand with consortium
Over the next 10 years, the three partners will build the standardised charging foundation needed to scale electric take-off and landing (eVTOL) commercial operations around built-up metropolitan areas. This is aligned with the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) eVTOL Integration Pilot Programme (eIPP) and will include airports and vertiports in California, Texas, Florida and New York.
“Electric air taxi operations can’t scale without the infrastructure to charge them,” said Adam Goldstein, Archer Aviation CEO and Founder.
“That’s why we’re building the backbone to support the next 250 years of electric aviation in America.”
The eVTOL developer is currently working through certification with the FAA and other global aviation authorities (including in the UAE) to ensure its Midnight eVTOL can safely integrate into airspace. It is targeting initial operations in 2026, including planned demonstrations in the US.
The way forward: Interoperable charging sites
By bringing 250+ interoperable charging sites to eIPP markets, ACES will help lay the foundation for the US to win in the next era of advanced air mobility (AAM).
“We’re putting interoperable chargers in the locations where we plan to fly, including the core eIPP markets and using the industry-adopted charging standard so every operator can share in their usage and distribute the cost across the whole industry,” continued Goldstein.
He explained how the charging network will create a shared infrastructure model where multiple operators and use cases run on the same chargers. Archer will be able to access the network for its passenger air taxi operations, while BETA’s customers can use it to support cargo operations and medical transport.
In addition, by making the model Combined Charging Standard (CCS)-compliant at bigger hubs, the chargers can also be used by ground vehicles, as part of the wider vision to build a unified network accessible to the whole aviation ecosystem.
BETA powering the future of flight
Kyle Clark, Founder and CEO of BETA Technologies revealed the infrastructure required to open the nation’s airports and future vertiports to AAM is a fraction of what people expect. “By deploying interoperable chargers built on an open standard, we’re putting in place nearly all the physical infrastructure the industry needs, built so every operator can use it.”
While BETA Technologies will supply its purpose-built charging hardware and Archer Aviation will anchor the network with its plans to launch commercial air taxi operations, Macquarie Capital will provide strategic advice to the consortium. This will include helping arrange the investment capital necessary to fund site acquisition and the subsequent development and construction of these facilities.
Macaquarie’s strategic expertise to boost investment capital
David Farkas, Managing Director, Aerospace Defense & Government Services at Macquarie Capital noted the company has spent three decades building essential infrastructure to power global economies.
“This consortium brings together the right combination of technology, operations and advice on arranging capital to do the same for electric aviation,” he said.
“We are helping to build the foundation of a national network that every eVTOL manufacturer can rely on and a template for how partnerships can accelerate the next generation of urban mobility in America and beyond.”
