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eVTOL Charging War: Archer & Beta vs. Joby
18 Jul
Summary
- Archer and Beta partner on standardized eVTOL charging hardware.
- Joby Aviation developed its own non-compatible charging standard.
- The new standard aims for 250 air taxi sites across the U.S.
Archer Aviation and Beta Technologies have joined forces with Macquarie Capital to deploy standardized electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) charging hardware. This partnership aims to establish charging infrastructure at as many as 250 air taxi sites throughout the United States, a project named America's Consortium for Electric Skyways (ACES).
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) endorses this new charging standard, promoting industry-wide adoption. However, a significant player, Joby Aviation, has not conformed to this standard. Joby has developed its own charging system, the Global Electric Aviation Charging System (GEACS), making its aircraft incompatible with the ACES infrastructure.
Joby's decision stems from its aircraft's distributed battery pack design, which requires a charging system capable of simultaneous charging of multiple battery packs through multiple DC channels. Archer and Beta, by contrast, have centralized battery packs, negating the need for such a complex charging feature.
