Archer Aviation just fired the first major legal salvo in the electric air taxi wars. The publicly traded startup filed a patent infringement complaint Monday in Texas federal court, accusing UK-based rival Vertical Aerospace of blatantly copying its Midnight aircraft design for Vertical's competing Valo air taxi. It's a high-stakes gambit in an industry racing toward commercial launch, where design choices could mean the difference between regulatory approval and grounded fleets.
Archer Aviation isn't mincing words. The Santa Clara-based electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) company filed suit Monday against Vertical Aerospace, claiming its British competitor "knowingly, willfully, and in reckless disregard leveraged and exploited" Archer's patented aircraft designs. According to the complaint filed in the US District Court Eastern District of Texas, Vertical's Valo air taxi bears a striking resemblance to Archer's Midnight aircraft, the centerpiece of the company's push toward commercial operations.
The visual comparison is damning. Side-by-side images show both aircraft featuring nearly identical configurations: six forward propellers arranged in a distinctive pattern, swept wings, and a bulbous cabin design. Archer argues these aren't coincidental design choices but deliberate copying of innovations it spent years developing. The company wants a federal judge to block Vertical from using the contested designs and is pursuing damages for what it characterizes as willful infringement across multiple patents.
This isn't just about aesthetics. Archer went public via SPAC merger in 2021 at a $3.8 billion valuation and has secured partnerships with major players like United Airlines and Stellantis. The Midnight aircraft represents the culmination of that investment, designed to carry four passengers plus a pilot on rapid urban flights of 20 to 60 miles. Every design element serves a purpose: the propeller configuration affects noise levels, the wing shape determines efficiency, and the cabin layout impacts passenger capacity and comfort.
