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The abrupt resignation of Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares on Dec. 1 has raised many questions about the future of the multi-national auto maker, which has been grappling with a plummeting stock price and slow sales across many of its brands, including U.S.-based Dodge, Ram, Jeep and Chrysler.
Amid the general uncertainty around the company’s future direction, one question is of particular interest to the aviation industry: What does this mean for the company’s relationship with Archer Aviation, including their planned manufacturing partnership? Tavares was a vocal champion of Archer, and Stellantis’s generally grim financial outlook would not seem to bode well for speculative investments in eVTOL startups.
Related: Archer plays the hare to Joby’s tortoise in eVTOL race
However, Tavares was not the only advocate of the partnership within Stellantis, and the person who orchestrated the deal is now on the interim executive committee (IEC) that will be responsible for the company’s direction and oversight until the board appoints a new CEO, which is expected in the first half of 2025.
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