Archer Aviation and BETA Collaborate to Bring Electric Air Taxi Charging Infrastructure to Texas

Archer Aviation, BETA Technologies, and Macquarie Capital have launched America’s Consortium for Electric Skyways (ACES), a new initiative focused on expanding interoperable electric aviation charging infrastructure in Texas.

What Happened

The consortium has set a goal to electrify up to 250 air taxi sites at America’s largest airports and metro areas over the next decade. The current project focuses on Texas, targeting key facilities such as airports and fixed-base operators (FBOs). ACES plans to create a shared infrastructure model where multiple operators can use the same chargers, moving away from competing proprietary charging systems. This approach allows infrastructure operators, OEMs, and investors to join in building a unified network.

Why It Matters

This initiative aligns with pilots conducted by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) in cooperation with the FAA’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), which aims to accelerate the safe deployment of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) vehicles. By identifying locations where eVTOL operators expect to fly, ACES intends to prepare the necessary infrastructure for regional test flights connecting the Texas Triangle—Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, and Houston—and rural communities. Archer CEO Adam Goldstein stated that ACES plans to place interoperable chargers on open standards where eIPP operations will take place, establishing a foundation for passenger air taxi flights. BETA CEO Kyle Clark emphasized that aircraft are only useful with reliable, interoperable infrastructure, noting that Texas provides an opportunity to demonstrate how shared charging can support real operations.

The Bottom Line

Archer, BETA, and other OEMs plan to conduct electric air taxi test flights in Texas in the coming months, utilizing the shared charging infrastructure developed through the ACES consortium and TxDOT collaboration.