(NewsNation) — Forget about calling Uber or Lyft for a regular ride; now companies are competing to invest in air taxis.
Auto giant Stellantis is the latest, announcing a major investment in air taxis. The maker of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and others will mass-produce Archer Aviation’s electric air taxis as part of a $150 million deal.
They aren’t the only ones. There’s a lot of global competition to put battery-powered air taxis in the sky for short-distance, back-to-back trips from city centers to airports.
Hyundai and Uber are working on an aerial ridesharing partnership.
Boeing is working with California aerospace manufacturer Wisk Aero to put an all-electric four-seater taxi in the sky that can fly without a human pilot.
Now, Stellantis will join the crowd, producing air taxis with Archer that can carry four passengers plus a pilot with a range of 100 miles. Stellantis says production is planned to launch in late 2024 at manufacturing plants in Georgia.
That’s when Archer expects to certify the aircraft with the Federal Aviation Administration.
Air taxis may be few years away, but people are already wondering how much a ride in one will cost. Company executives say passengers might pay anywhere from $2.25 to $11 per mile.