electric air – As Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation trade accusations in court—ranging from corporate espionage to allegedly misclassified imports—the legal fight is adding fresh delays and pressure to an industry already struggling with certification timelines, thinning bud
The courtroom is turning into a hangar door for electric air taxis—one that won’t open quickly.
Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation, two of the best-known names in the U.S. eVTOL race. have spent the past year-and-change suing each other. countering claims. and escalating disputes over technology. sourcing. and competitive advantage. It’s happening at the exact moment the industry is trying to convince regulators—and the public—that electric aircraft can move people around cities without helicopter-style noise or carbon pollution. Instead, every filing adds another layer of uncertainty to plans that were already stretched thin.
It started with accusations of theft and deception. Last year, Joby sued Archer, with Joby accusing Archer of corporate espionage. Archer responded by claiming Joby was hiding its ties to China.
Then. in February of this year. Archer filed a patent infringement suit against Vertical Aerospace. alleging that Vertical copied Archer’s “Midnight” design for its own “Valo” aircraft. Those disputes have unfolded less than two years after Archer supposedly settled a different trade-secrets fight—over alleged theft involving Boeing-backed Wisk Aero—only for that case to be reopened when Wisk asked the court for help enforcing the settlement terms.
Joby’s latest legal flashpoint came in November 2025, when the company accused Archer of corporate espionage. Joby pointed to a former Joby employee who left to work for Archer. alleging the person stole technical information and stakeholder communications and provided them to their new employer. “Archer brazenly used that stolen information,” Joby claims in its complaint.
In March, Archer fired back. It accused Joby of defrauding the U.S. government by misclassifying components imported from China. Archer said the plan included classifying China aircraft parts as consumer goods such as “hair clips” and “socks.” A month later. the International Trade Commission opened an investigation into Joby’s ties to China. examining whether the company violated tariff or patent law. The ongoing investigation could delay Joby’s plans to launch an air taxi service by 2028.
Archer’s legal pressure doesn’t stop with Joby. In February, Archer sued UK-based Vertical Aerospace, arguing that Vertical ripped off its eVTOL designs. Archer’s Midnight and Vertical’s Valo are both four-passenger aircraft with electric motors and tilt-rotor propellers designed for vertical takeoff and landing. Both have a cruising speed of 150mph and a maximum range of 100 miles.
Archer’s chief strategy and legal officer. Eric Lentell. said in a statement that it’s “obvious that Vertical’s Valo aircraft mimics many of Midnight’s most distinctive design features.” Vertical Aerospace spokesperson Justin Bates responded that Archer’s claims were “without merit” and a “distraction” from the company’s challenges in the market.
No company has yet cleared the FAA type-certification hurdle required to carry passengers commercially in the United States. But the companies say they’re close.
Joby is widely viewed as the front-runner. The company has progressed through all four stages of the type certification process. Joby produces around one aircraft a month and is working on a production version that will undergo the FAA’s certification process. In April. Joby demonstrated one of its aircraft flying from JFK Airport to Lower Manhattan as a preview of future air taxi routes. Joby plans to launch its first passenger service in Dubai later this year. where certification requirements are less strict than in the U.S.
Archer, meanwhile, is working on a pre-production model and has progressed through three of the four type certification stages. Archer says it will be ready for passengers for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
But investors have seemed unconvinced that “close” is close enough. Joby’s stock has shed almost 35 percent of its value since the beginning of the year, while Archer’s stock has plummeted nearly 33 percent.
These lawsuits are unfolding in a wider industry squeeze—certification deadlines that keep moving. budgets that shrink as timelines stretch. and investors growing nervous about the costs required for legal battles and regulatory approval. The disputes over intellectual property. competition. and talent aren’t just behind-the-scenes drama; they land in the middle of an already fragile roadmap.
The pressure extends beyond the courtroom. The Advanced Air Mobility Reality Index, created by SMG Consulting, tracks the likelihood of eVTOL promises becoming reality. The Trump administration is trying to speed things up. launching the eVTOL Integration Pilot Program earlier this year to accelerate the safe deployment of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft in the U.S. Several eVTOL companies are also adapting their technology for military operations: Joby has aircraft placed at Edwards and MacDill Air Force Bases. while Archer is partnering with defense tech firm Anduril and pitching the U.S. Defense Department on a hybrid-powered VTOL variant.
Even the idea of “public arrival” is being forced into a slower reality check. One of the first advanced air mobility companies to give journalists a test ride was Vermont-based Beta Technologies. Earlier this month. the company invited members of the media to test out its Alia electric aircraft—though Beta has yet to receive permission to operate a commercial service.
As an engineering professor put it to The New York Times. “It’s not going to be like we look out our window and there’s flying cars everywhere.” For now. the industry isn’t just waiting on certification timelines—it’s waiting for courts. investigations. and expensive legal claims to run their course.
For a detailed breakdown of the long-simmering rivalry between Joby and Archer, a 2024 piece in Aviation Week is referenced. The Stepback story also directs readers to follow topics and authors from the coverage to find more like this in a personalized homepage feed and receive email updates—an echo of how tightly these courtroom fights have become intertwined with what comes next for electric air taxis.
electric air taxis eVTOL Joby Aviation Archer Aviation Vertical Aerospace FAA certification International Trade Commission corporate espionage patent infringement Midnight design Valo design