Joby Aviation discusses eVTOL advancements and future goals during online roundtable

Regarding energy sources, Bevirt mentioned that battery energy density has nearly doubled since 2008 at 300 watt-hours per kilogram. Hydrogen, he said, almost triples jet fuel's potency at 35,000 watt-hours per kilogram and offers double the efficiency in converting chemical energy into propulsion. This results in a sevenfold increase in productive energy while reducing fuel weight adds range, payload capacity, and performance.

Joby Chief Product Officer Eric Allison highlighted the company's vertical integration across design, testing, manufacturing, and infrastructure. He noted Joby's recent acquisition of software developer ElevateOS to develop its air taxi platform internally. With this acquisition, Joby aims to build operational software tailored specifically to its needs.

Allison emphasized Joby's focus on bringing battery-electric aircraft to market. The company is currently in Phase 4 of its certification process. On manufacturing progress, Allison reported that Joby aims for a run rate of 12 aircraft this year and plans expansion at its Marina production facility in California to produce up to 25 aircraft annually. Additionally, a new facility in Dayton, Ohio will support scaling operations toward a goal of producing 500 aircraft per year.

An agreement with Dubai is expected to lead to passenger service launch in 2025. Responding to questions about public awareness of air taxis, Bevirt stated that much work remains as the industry is still in its early stages.

AVweb queried whether Joby's infrastructure plans would include leveraging existing small general aviation airports. Allison confirmed this strategy involves using existing infrastructure that can be converted for electric aircraft operation; adapting facilities like high-rise parking garages; and constructing new facilities optimized for eVTOL technology.