In September last year, Joby said it planned to build a facility capable of delivering up to 500 aircraft per year at the Dayton International Airport, supporting up to 2,000 jobs.
Joby began flying full-scale pre-production prototype aircraft more than four years ago, and the company’s two pre-production aircraft have completed more than 1,500 flights, covering more than 33,000 miles, including more than 100 flights with a pilot.
“Over the course of this test program, our team has shown the world how real electric air taxis are, with tens of thousands of miles flown using today’s battery technology,” said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and chief executive of Joby. “Our pre-production aircraft were the second full-scale generation of Joby’s design, and their performance met or exceeded our predictions throughout the program, successfully achieving our targets for maximum range, speed, and a revolutionary acoustic footprint.”
“Over the past four years, we thoroughly tested and studied our aircraft in flight, from precision landing and outwash to human factors,” James Denham, Joby’s chief test pilot, said in a statement. “We often flew multiple flights per day, demonstrating our ability to fly in a wide variety of weather and operational conditions. As a result, we have the most experienced and professional eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles) flight test team in the world.”
Joby’s taxi is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers at up to 200 mph, with close to no noise, the company has said.
Questions about the next steps were sent to a Joby representative.
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