Archer’s Battery Cells Undergo “Hundreds of Thousands of Hours of Testing”

Archer Aviation, the manufacturer of the Midnight eVTOL, said the battery cells to be installed on its aircraft have undergone “hundreds of thousands of hours of testing” to cover a vast range of parameters. 

Given the importance that battery cells play in powering electric aircraft, Archer’s testing ensures the technology being utilized adheres to the safety, capacity and sustainability standards expected from eVTOLs.

“The batteries and electric engines underwent robust shock and vibe testing. The battery cells also underwent hundreds of thousands of hours of testing covering different environmental conditions and operating parameters,” Archer said in a post on Twitter. 

Aside from battery cell testing, the San Jose-based firm also tested its electric propulsion system and other components that will be affixed to its electric aircraft dubbed Midnight. 

“Testing on our proprietary electric propulsion system is rapidly advancing. Key achievements over the last couple months include completing fully integrated powertrain system tests on Midnight, including battery, electric engine and propellers,” Archer said. 

Archer is also making great headway in preparing the production tooling required to produce its conforming Midnight eVTOL. 

“We completed fabrication and qualification of a significant portion of the production tooling required for the major structural assemblies that will be used in manufacturing our conforming Midnight aircraft. This has further validated that our composite part fabrication specification has proper detail and process control to allow us to create conforming parts,” the company added. 

The testing comes after Archer shared its first quarter results for 2023, during which the company posted a net loss of USD$113.1 million. Archer also completed the final assembly of its first Midnight eVTOL and plans to conduct a flight test this summer. 

Archer aims to launch commercially in 2025 and has plans to operate routes in New York and Chicago, which will be done in partnership with United Airlines. The eVTOL developer has its sights set on introducing more routes in the U.S. in the future.  

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