Car maker Stellantis is getting into flying machines, announcing on Wednesday at the big electronics show CES in Las Vegas that it will produce electric planes designed by American company Archer and designed to become flying taxis, AFP reported.

Stellantis, known for its Peugeot, Citroen and Jeep car brands, will offer up to $150 million for the Archer and its vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft designed to carry four passengers in addition to the pilot.

Called Midnight, it looks like a small plane with a few propellers on the wings and is designed to make consecutive trips of about 30 kilometers with a recharge time of about 10 minutes between each trip.

The two groups collaborated again in 2021, but on a more limited scale, with Stellantis providing technical support and access to its supply chain.

This time around, Stellantis is expected to mass-produce the aircraft as the exclusive contract manufacturer at the Archer facility in Covington, Georgia, in the eastern United States.

The head of Stellantis, Carlos Tavares, said at a press conference that going beyond car production is “a question of freedom of mobility.”

Stellantis is committed to providing “safe, clean and affordable” transportation, he said, and the partnership with Archer is part of that goal.

In addition to its experience in mass production and $150 million to be paid in 2023 and 2024 based on the achievement of certain goals, Stellantis also plans to increase its stake in Archer through share repurchases in the market.

The partnership allows Archer to accelerate production of the aircraft, which is scheduled to begin in late 2024.

The American company should be able to initially build up to 650 aircraft per year before possibly expanding production to 2,300 per year, Adam Goldstein, co-founder and director of Archer, said during a press briefing.

The partnership should also allow the US company to save “several hundred million dollars” as it ramps up production with Stellantis’ expertise.