Archer's $430m deal shines light on hybrid power systems
Archer Aviation has partnered with defence technology firm Anduril Industries to develop a hybrid-electric version of its eVTOL aircraft. Archer has established "Archer Defense," led by Lockheed Martin veteran Joseph Pantalone, to spearhead this effort1. Hybrid powertrains allow for refuelling in diverse locations and provide significantly improved range over fully electric counterparts. This makes them more versatile for varied defence applications and less dependent on advanced battery chemistries. Our comparison of the electric and hybrid variants (not official figures):
Performance figures from Mark Moore’s ‘Why the Archer-Anduril Deal is so Pivotal’ are not official figures from Archer or Anduril2
In conjunction with this partnership, Archer has secured $430 million in a recent equity offering, bringing its total funding to nearly $2 billion and its liquidity to over $1 billion at the end of 2024. This milestone underscores that leading OEMs in the AAM industry have the financial resources needed to achieve certification and commercial deployment across various markets and use cases. As insurers consider hybrid power systems, extended range and enhanced contingency planning for diversions are clear advantages. However, the increased complexity of hybrid powertrains could pose challenges in terms of maintenance and repairability compared to fully electric aircraft.
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Mark Moore: Why the Archer-Anduril Deal is so Pivotal