A First Look at Joby’s eVTOL Future

The production model is ready for flight test, but are we ready to fly?

Thursday, April 04, 2024 at 08:40 AM ET

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We observed Joby flight in the sim in D.C., at left, and watching the remotely piloted demo flight at Marina, above. [Stephen Yeates]

Key Takeaways:

Joby Aviation aims to revolutionize "last-mile" aerial transport with its quiet electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, currently nearing FAA type certification.
The aircraft, designed for a pilot and four passengers, features innovative in-house developed electric motors and a simplified "autoflight" control system, prioritizing accessibility and safety over traditional pilot operation.
The company employs extensive vertical integration, designing and manufacturing nearly all critical components internally—from batteries and motors to composites—to achieve precise performance, with manufacturing expertise partly influenced by investor Toyota.

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Joby Aviation glows with the shining health of an organization led by a vision drawn from childhood dreams. The California-born-and-bred company, founded by JoeBen Bevirt, feels clear in its purpose: to make the most challenging “last mile” of aerial transport between points an accessible—and quiet—reality.

Bevirt thought up the premise for an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) as he walked home from the last point a school bus could take him near his home in California’s Santa Cruz Mountains. Today, Joby is a roughly $4 billion-cap enterprise on the cusp of its type certification for-credit testing with the FAA on an evolution of the very vehicle Bevirt envisioned would lift him from that dusty bus stop into the peaceful meadow near his parents’ forest home.