Joby Aviation, the California-based eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) manufacturer, just rolled its first electric air taxi off production lines. More importantly, the consumer-ready craft could soon carry passengers.
According to its latest press release, Joby Aviation didn’t just complete an official production line model, but it has already been cleared by the FAA (Federal Aviation Authority) to start test flights on production models.
The company received one of several flight certifications in May of 2022, then passed the second stage of an even more crucial “Type Certification” in February of this year. All of those steps are working toward one goal: an official production prototype that can take to the sky.
A joint statement from Joby Aviation and Toyota, one of its strategic partners and investors, said this is one of the first production-ready eVTOL crafts to receive certifications to fly. More importantly, the aircraft is expected to become the “first-ever eVTOL aircraft to be delivered to a customer.”
Joby went on to say, “The aircraft will now undergo initial flight testing before being delivered to Edwards Air Force Base, California, where it will be used to demonstrate a range of potential logistics use cases.”
If everything goes according to plan, Joby Aviation hopes to start shipping multiple electric planes to customers sometime next year, then launch a full-scale electric air taxi service for paying customers by 2025.
Joby’s all-electric aircraft has six adjustable rotors to take off upwards like a helicopter, then each one rotates forward and allows it to fly like a traditional aircraft. The electric plane reportedly reaches top speeds of 200 mph, can travel 150 miles per charge, and carry roughly four passengers.
via Engadget
