The eVTOL revolution just got one flight closer to reality.
Joby Aviation, one of the leaders in the electric air-taxi market, announced a milestone in its test program. The company did four flights last week with a pilot on board, which will move its four-passenger aircraft closer to commercial operations.
The company recently completed the piloted flights of its pre-production prototype at its Pilot Production Facility in Marina, Calif. It is also conducting flight tests at Edward Air Force Base, where Air Force Pilots are flying its eVTOL.
The tiltrotor eVTOL is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers, with a range of 87 nautical miles and cruise speed of 200 mph. Last year, its S4 model reached a record 205 mph on a test flight.
Pilot James “Buddy” Denham, Joby’s chief test pilot, said the flights are designed to gather data about the aircraft’s handling qualities and pilot-control interfaces. He helped design and test the flight controls of the F-35 Strike Fighter, but said “nothing compares to the simplicity and grace of a Joby aircraft.”
The tests replicated what pilots will be required to perform during normal operations, including vertical takeoffs, accelerating, and transitioning to forward flight, runway centerline tracking, and decelerating to a vertical landing.
The start-up is viewed as one the leaders in bringing an eVTOL to market, along with competitors Archer, Wisk, and Supernal in the U.S., Vertical Aerospace in the U.K., and Volocopter and Lilium in Germany. Joby initially said it expected its eVTOL to enter commercial service in 2024 but pushed that back a year due to supply-chain issues.
Joby’s Eric Allison told the Revolution.Aero conference last month that the firm plans to begin aerial ridesharing services in Los Angeles and New York City. It submitted its certification plans to the FAA in July after rolling out its first production prototype.
Joby recently announced it was building a facility near Dayton, Ohio, capable of producing 500 air taxis each year.
FAQs
Developed by the ePlane Company, the e200 will have a range of around 200 km. India is likely to see its first flying electric taxi as early as next year, according to Anand Mahindra, Chairman of Mahindra Group.
How fast is the Joby air taxi? ›
Joby's electric air taxi is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph, offering high-speed mobility with a fraction of the noise produced by helicopters and zero operating emissions.
Where is the world's first air taxi service set to be launched? ›
Dubai has signed agreements at the World Government Summit 2024 held in Dubai, to launch the world's first air taxi service. The agreements enable Dubai to lead the way in deploying a city-wide network of electric aerial taxis and vertiports.
What was the first electric plane to fly? ›
On 21 October 1973, the Militky MB-E1, a Brditschka HB-3 motor glider converted by Fred Militky and piloted by Heino Brditschka, flew for 9 minutes from Linz in Austria: the first electric aircraft to fly under its own power with a person on board, powered by Nickel–cadmium batteries (NiCad).
How much does a Joby air taxi cost? ›
A ride on the air taxi is expected to mirror the cost of using Uber black, around $200 per seat to get to JFK airport. And then there's search pricing to take into account.
Will Joby be successful? ›
The company's success will likely be driven by continued execution of its ongoing growth strategies. In this regard, I think Joby is a stock worth considering. Such a view is furthered by the American Association of Individual Investors' outlook for the Aerospace and defense industry over the next 12 months.
Is Joby worth buying? ›
Based on analyst ratings, Joby Aviation's 12-month average price target is $6.67. Joby Aviation has 29.77% upside potential, based on the analysts' average price target. Joby Aviation has a conensus rating of Hold which is based on 1 buy ratings, 1 hold ratings and 1 sell ratings.
Does Joby Aviation have a future? ›
Joby's all-electric aircraft has a maximum range of 100 miles and can carry a pilot and four passengers, giving it unparalleled flexibility to serve communities worldwide. Joby plans to start commercial operations in 2025, as it continues its progression from prototype to a fully operational fleet.
Who owns Joby aircraft? ›
JoeBen Bevirt is an evangelist for the new industry and the founder and CEO of Joby Aviation Inc., which delivered its first eVTOL to the Air Force last month.
Who owns taxi first? ›
Taxi First owner Peter Bresland said it was an […]
Air Cab owner and pilot Joel Eilertsen moved to Coal Harbour from the United States with his parents in 1952. Joel Eilertsen has lived a long and adventurous life.
Who invented the air taxi? ›
This concept goes back as early as 1917 with Glenn Curtiss' prototype, the auto-plane. Furthermore, during the 1920s to the late 1950s, various inventors created their own prototypes. Such inventors included Henry Ford, Waldo Waterman, and Moulton “Molt” Taylor.
Why don t electric planes exist? ›
Electric aviation's biggest hurdle, however, is balancing the energy density of a battery power source. Consider the fact that battery energy is more than 40 times heavier than jet fuel. The battery unit that powered Alice — widely considered the most successful electric plane flight to date — still added 8,000 pounds.
Why won't electric planes work? ›
"In my view the main bottleneck is still the energy source: current batteries are too heavy for the amount of energy they provide. This means that for now electric propulsion is only viable for small aircraft with a limited range," said Sophie Armanini, professor of eAviation at the Technical University of Munich.
Are electric planes the future? ›
If today's batteries progress at the same rate — three times better in 25 years — it will be 2090 before the largest, wide-body aircraft can be electrified. How battery technology evolves will greatly impact the trajectory of the commercial electric plane industry far into the future.
When was the first electric taxi invented? ›
Walter Bersey's 1897 Electric Cab, London's first self propelled Taxi. You may be surprised that Electric vehicles were being thought about as early as the 1830's, with Robert Anderson credited with creating the first (albeit crude) Electric Carriage.
When was the first eVTOL made? ›
Brief History on eVTOL In 2014, eVTOL was officially introduced by American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) as well as AHS International, even though the concept sprung up first in 2011.
Who invented the first flying taxi? ›
The man behind the launch of India's first flying taxi is again a Bengali professor, Satya Chakravarthy, the founder of ePlane Company, and a distinguished professor of Aerospace Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.
What was the first electric transportation? ›
1889 — 1891. William Morrison, from Des Moines, Iowa, creates the first successful electric vehicle in the U.S. His car is little more than an electrified wagon, but it sparks an interest in electric vehicles. This 1896 advertisem*nt shows how many early electric vehicles were not much different than carriages.
