AVIATION
Joby Aviation electric air taxi
July 31, 2024 - U.S. air taxi group Joby Aviation plans its European launch in the UK before the end of the decade. The air taxi is an emissions-free electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
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Joby Aviation successfully flew its hydrogen-electric air taxi for 842km (523 miles) around its flight test facilities in Marina, California, on June 24. The eVTOL aircraft was powered by liquid hydrogen, with water as the only in-flight emission.
The air taxi landed with more than ten per cent of its hydrogen fuel load still available for its engines.
For the test flight, JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of the aviation company, converted one of its pre-production prototype lithium-ion battery aircraft and fitted it with a liquid hydrogen fuel tank and fuel cell system.
Each air taxi can carry a pilot and four passengers and meets strict safety standards set by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other global aviation regulators.
During NASA tests, the aircraft registered the equivalent of 45.2 decibels at an altitude of 500 metres and 100 knots airspeed -- a sound level that Joby believes will barely be perceptible against the ambient environment of cities.
NASA engineers also measured the aircraft’s acoustic profile during planned take-off and landing to below 65 decibels.
Joby plans to start commercial operations in 2025 using its battery-electric air taxi. The Company has raised over $2 billion in funding, including investments from Toyota, Delta Air Lines, SK Telecom, Uber, and Baillie Gifford.