Joby has done more than 150 miles with electric vertical take-off air taxi

Joby Aero, the California-based company that is developing an all-electric air taxi for commercial passenger service has made another leap forward in the programme when the company confirmed it had flown a full-size prototype vehicle more than 150 miles on a single charge, including a vertical take-off and landing.

The flight was completed at Joby’s Electric Flight Base in Big Sur, CA earlier this month as part of the company’s ongoing flight test campaign. The aircraft, piloted from the ground by Joby’s Chief Test Pilot, Justin Paines, took off vertically before transitioning to forward flight and completing 11 laps of a predefined circuit. After more than 1 hour and 17 minutes in the air, the aircraft landed vertically, having covered a total distance of 154.6 statute miles.

Commenting on the milestone, JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby, said: “We’ve achieved something that many thought impossible with today’s battery technology.  By doing so we’ve taken the first step towards making convenient, emissions-free air travel between places like San Francisco and Lake Tahoe, Houston and Austin, or Los Angeles and San Diego an everyday reality.”

Joby Aviation named as one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2021

Joby Aviation, part of the JetBlue Group has been named on Fast Company’s prestigious annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2021. 

The annual list is compiled by Fast Company reporters and editors who survey thousands of enterprises around the world to identify the most notable innovators of the year.

Joby Aviation is a transportation company developing an all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft that it intends to operate as a commercial passenger aircraft beginning in 2024.

Following a decade spent developing a piloted eVTOL aircraft with more than 1,000 test flights conducted to date, Joby has been recognized by Fast Company as a leader with significant first-mover advantages in the emerging aerial ridesharing industry. Joby’s superior technology and strategic partnerships with leading companies such as Uber and Toyota set the company apart in the field as it continues advancing its mission to transform transportation with the introduction of a clean, quiet, and convenient aerial ridesharing service starting in 2024.

JetBlue's Joby Aviation expects to see its air taxis flying over American cities within ten years.

Joby Aviation, a portfolio company of budget carrier JetBlue's venture capital arm releases footage of its revolutionary all-electric, vertical take-off and landing aircraft in flight. The company is also celebrating an important milestone on its journey to making its air taxi service a reality. 

 With more than 1,000 test flights completed over the last 10 years, Joby intends to use its piloted, four-passenger aircraft to launch a commercial passenger service beginning in 2024.

The company expects to revolutionize how people move by unlocking the possibility to leapfrog over the gridlock below in its emissions-free vehicle, which can travel up to 150 miles at speeds up to 200 miles per hour. The aircraft is quiet in take-off and near silent when flying overhead.

The company also announced earlier today that it has entered into a definitive business combination agreement with Reinvent Technology Partners a special purpose acquisition company that takes a ‘venture capital at scale’ approach to partnering with bold leaders and companies.