'Midnight' eVTOL smashes its own record in latest test flight — bringing us closer to operational flying taxis

An electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft dubbed "Midnight" has completed its highest-ever flight, reaching an altitude of 7,000 feet (2,100 meters).

Archer Aviation, which manufactures the Midnight eVTOL, hopes the aircraft will become "electric air taxis" someday. The vehicle is powered by battery packs that contain numerous lithium-ion cells, and it can carry one pilot alongside passengers with luggage.

Unlike commercial airliners, which typically cruise at altitudes between 30,000 and 42,000 feet (about 9,000 to 13,000 m) above sea level, eVTOLs like Midnight are intended to operate in urban environments in a range between 1,500 and 4,000 feet (450 to 1,200 m).

The new ceiling is an important milestone for several reasons, company representatives say. For one, the ability to fly at an altitude of 7,000 feet would allow Midnight to operate in cities with a high density of skyscrapers, without having to make costly detours, they said in a statement.

The milestone also opens up cities at higher altitudes, as well as mountainous and other high-elevation destinations that would otherwise be inaccessible by eVTOL.

A higher ceiling also means the potential to avoid air congestion. As eVTOLs, drones and other low-altitude aircraft become more common, the ability to traverse higher flight corridors will be a significant advantage and help avoid the kind of terrestrial gridlock that eVTOLs were originally designed to circumvent.

During the test flight, Midnight reached speeds of over 120 miles per hour (193 kilometers per hour) and flew for a total of 45 miles (72 km).

Last month, the aircraft completed its longest flight to date, covering 55 miles (86 km) in 31 minutes at speeds exceeding 126 mph (203 km/h). Midnight reached more than 150 mph (241 km/h) in previous tests, allowing the eVTOL to complete trips in minutes that would take hours in a ground vehicle, according to Archer Aviation.

"Crossing the 50-mile [80 km] mark at speed is another clear step toward commercialization," Adam Goldstein, Archer Aviation's founder and CEO, said in the statement.

The successful test flight marks another step toward the company's goal of obtaining Federal Aviation Administration certification, which would signify that Midnight was legally authorized to operate within the U.S. air system. Archer has also recently begun the process of commercializing operations in a step towards deploying Midnight in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

These "flying cars" offer several advantages over traditional aircraft, and even traditional VTOLs that do not rely on electricity, the manufacturers say. The capability to take and land vertically means a much smaller urban footprint for "vertiports" versus traditional airports, for example. Electric power also means that eVTOLs are much quieter and cause less noise pollution in urban environments than traditional aircraft do, while being more environmentally friendly.