Archer eVTOL snags Design of the Year award
The Midnight cometh to MUSE
Some Serious Design Chops
Archer Aviation Inc., already well known for their trendy eVTOL (that's electric vertical takeoff and landing, for the uninitiated) scene, just got the "Transportation Design of the Year" from the MUSE Design Awards. Their Midnight aircraft is cool - and somehow I’ve never covered it on the blog directly. But here it is.
The sleek electric flyer has literally a dream team of design gurus. Julien Montousse, the guy who gave Mazda in North America a facelift, Niki Smart, who sprinkled some Cadillac magic at General Motors, and Greg Warmsley, who once waved his creative wand at Mazda. Together, they've managed to make the Midnight aircraft somewhat of a masterpiece (at least according to some) and yes it does look quite nice.
Montousse, went from regular car design to flying car design, shared his vision - wanting to make hopping into a flying taxi as inspiring as stepping into a futuristic movie. True to his word, Midnight is designed to impress. And yes, I am truly impressed.
Designing an eVTOL is a bit more complex than designing a car. Not only do you have to worry about the ground, but you have to worry about aerodynamics and safety in the skies too. Add on a heap of other safety regs and requirements, and you’ve got yourself a smorgasboard of engineering challenge.
Montousse added that creating Midnight was all about forging an emotional bond between the passenger and their flying marvel. Not just a ride; an experience – one that promises to be quiet yet exciting - kind of like floating in a dream?
The MUSE Design Awards, for those not in the know, is like the Oscars for designers, celebrating the top global designs and innovations. With this latest accolade, Archer's Midnight is gaining legendary status.
More about Archer (since we’re talking about them)
Hailing from Santa Clara, CA, Archer is an eVTOL company. They're on a mission to make innovative flying vehicles and change the world. Less traffic, more sky.
The team that could probably design a spaceship if they wanted to, (who knows maybe that’s next) but for now here’s dem links: https://investors.archer.com/news/news-details/2023/Archers-Midnight-eVTOL-Aircraft-Wins-Transportation-Design-of-the-Year-Award/default.aspx