Archer Aviation Counters Joby with Allegations of Concealed Chinese Ties
In a significant escalation of the legal battle between electric air taxi developers, Archer Aviation has filed a countersuit against rival Joby Aviation, alleging that Joby misrepresented its operations as entirely American-made while maintaining substantial undisclosed connections to Chinese entities.
The countersuit, submitted to a federal court, accuses Joby of utilizing a Chinese manufacturing subsidiary to procure essential components from suppliers backed by the Chinese government. Archer further contends that Joby attempted to obscure these affiliations by misclassifying large quantities of Chinese-origin aircraft materials as consumer goods—such as hair clips, socks, and photo albums—to circumvent U.S. tariffs and oversight related to foreign influence.
Founded in 2009 in Santa Cruz, California, Joby Aviation has its corporate headquarters there and operates additional facilities across various U.S. cities. The company also maintains international operations in Germany, Austria, Costa Rica, and Shenzhen, China, as indicated in documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Alex Spiro, an attorney representing Joby, dismissed Archer’s claims, stating via email that the company doesn’t respond to nonsense. He added, Archer’s constant legal issues and flailing business operations have left it no choice but to resort to invented nonsensical theories. We will see them in court.
This countersuit follows a lawsuit filed by Joby against Archer four months prior, alleging that former Joby employee George Kivork misappropriated trade secrets upon joining Archer, which then utilized the confidential information. Both companies, headquartered in California—Joby in Santa Cruz and Archer in San Jose—went public in 2021 through mergers with special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs). They are direct competitors in the burgeoning electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft market, targeting both commercial air taxi services and defense applications.
The timing of Archer’s countersuit is particularly noteworthy, as it references a recent executive order by President Trump. This order directed the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration to initiate a pilot program aimed at accelerating the development and commercialization of eVTOL aircraft. Both Archer and Joby have applied to participate in this program, known as the Advanced Air Mobility and Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Integration Pilot Program.
Archer’s complaint alleges that Joby has secured substantial funding from the U.S. government, including contracts with the U.S. Air Force, by presenting itself as a company committed to American innovation. The complaint asserts that Joby has positioned itself as a key player in the administration’s efforts to integrate air taxis into the national transportation infrastructure under the 2025 Unleashing American Drone Dominance Executive Order.
On the same day the countersuit was filed, the Department of Transportation and the FAA approved eight proposals for the pilot program, covering 26 states. Archer received approval to participate in three of these proposals, while Joby secured approval for five.
This legal confrontation underscores the intense competition and high stakes in the emerging eVTOL industry, where companies are vying for technological leadership, regulatory approval, and substantial government contracts. The outcome of this dispute could have significant implications for the future of urban air mobility and the broader aerospace sector.
