California-based Archer Aviation has hired Alan Tepe to lead propulsion inverter design and Jeremy Mayer to head up motor design system development for its Maker eVTOL aircraft.

“Alan and Jeremy possess a unique combination of theoretical and practical experience in their fields that will add to what we believe to be our industry-leading motor development team,” says Archer co-founder and co-CEO Brett Adcock. “We can't wait to share the phenomenal work this team is doing as we progress towards our first flight milestone later this year and continue on our pathway toward our goal of launching commercial eVTOL flight.”

Tepe will be responsible for overseeing the design and advancement of the propulsion inverter technology. “Our team's work will be critical in optimising our all-electric flight design and ushering in the next era of urban travel,” he says. “I'm excited to get started and continue to build on all of Archer's accomplishments to date.”

Tepe has experience of working with power electronics and drive inverters and will provide critical support and guidance for the company's engineering team. He comes to Archer after eight years at Tesla on the mechanical engineering team. Previously he advised on mechanical engineering and design issues for Triple Ring Technologies and held key engineering roles with Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, Boston Scientific and NASA. He earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering for Mechatronics and Robotics from California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo.

Mayer will focus on the mechanical design and development of the aircraft motor. He has nearly 20 years of experience in mechanical and electromagnetic engineering, most recently working at Lucid Motors and before that at Turntide Technologies and Tesla. He earned a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan State University and an MS in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering from the University of Florida. He says: “Electrical propulsion motors diminish maintenance costs and increase efficiency compared to conventional combustion engines, and I am really looking forward to using my experience to contribute to Archer's revolutionary aviation platform.”

“We've made significant progress in the development of our aircraft in the past year, but we also know that there is much work still to be done,” adds Archer co-founder and co-CEO Adam Goldstein. “Alan and Jeremy are stellar additions to our team and will help us continue to build momentum as we look ahead to flight testing and certification. Every day, we move closer to the future of sustainable urban air mobility and we are excited to have leaders like Alan and Jeremy join the team that's making it a reality.”