CAEATFA grants Archer approval for electric powertrain facility ramp-up

Archer’s battery pack production facility. Source | Archer Aviation Inc.

Archer Aviation Inc. (Santa Clara, Calif., U.S.) has received approval from the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority (CAEATFA) for its ~$117 million project. This approval covers the planned expansion of Archer’s advanced manufacturing facilities in California, including the ramp-up of its electric powertrain facility, as it readies for commercialization of its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The CAEATFA sales and use tax exclusion is expected to result in ~$10 million in benefit to Archer over the next few years. 

In May, Archer announced the completion of installation of its high-volume battery pack manufacturing line at its facility in San Jose, California. Archer’s facility is designed for high-volume production from day one with the capability of producing up to 15,000 of Archer’s proprietary battery packs — complete with composite enclosures — per year at full capacity, which will support the ramp-up of Archer’s electric aircraft production planned for 2025 and beyond.

“We are proud to receive this award from CAEATFA and represent the cutting-edge of transportation innovation that the state of California is backing,” says Archer founder and CEO, Adam Goldstein. “As a leader in the electrification of aviation, we are working hard to help California meet its most ambitious climate goals.”