Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) startup Joby has recently completed a 523-mile test flight of its hybrid electric-hydrogen air taxi in California.
This groundbreaking flight marks the first successful test of a hydrogen-powered eVTOL aircraft, signaling a potential revolution in emissions-free regional air travel.
Image via Joby
No Emissions Except Water
The prototype aircraft, retrofitted from a pre-production battery-electric model, features a 40-kilogram liquid hydrogen fuel tank and a sophisticated fuel-cell system.
This system, developed by Joby's subsidiary H2FLY, converts hydrogen into electricity, which powers the aircraft's six electric motors. The only emissions from this process are water vapor, making the aircraft an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional fossil fuel-powered planes.
"Imagine being able to fly from San Francisco to San Diego, Boston to Baltimore, or Nashville to New Orleans without the need to go to an airport and with no emissions except water," said Joby founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt.
The converted eVTOL aircraft, capable of carrying four passengers and a pilot, demonstrated its efficiency and quiet operation during the test flight. Joby says its noise level is comparable to a quiet conversation, enhancing its appeal for urban environments.
This test flight builds on the success of a previous record-breaking flight by Joby's H2FLY team in September 2023, where they completed the world's first piloted flight of a conventional liquid hydrogen-electric aircraft.
Electric Air Taxis to Fly Commercially Next Year
Joby Aviation aims to start commercial operations of its battery-electric air taxi by 2025, with initial services planned for major urban centers such as New York, Los Angeles, and Dubai.
The company envisions integrating these air taxis into existing transportation networks, including partnerships with Uber for aerial ridesharing services.
"The vast majority of the design, testing, and certification work we've completed on our battery-electric aircraft carries over to commercializing hydrogen-electric flight," Bevirt told Axios, emphasizing the efficiency of repurposing their existing eVTOL design for hydrogen propulsion.
Joby Aviation has raised over $2 billion in funding, with investments from industry giants such as Toyota, Delta Air Lines, SK Telecom, and Uber.
The startup also holds a $131 million contract with the US Air Force to deliver and operate aircraft for the Department of Defense, reflecting the military's interest in hydrogen as part of its clean energy goals.
The successful test flight shows the potential of hydrogen fuel cells to change the aviation industry, which is under pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Hydrogen-powered aircraft could provide a viable solution for short-haul flights of several hundred miles, especially for VTOLs that do not require runways.
In addition to environmental benefits, hydrogen fuel allows quicker refueling compared to battery-electric technology, further enhancing its practicality for regional air travel.
Meanwhile, legislative support is growing, with Congress recently passing a bipartisan bill directing the Federal Aviation Administration to research and develop strategies for hydrogen fuel use within the next year.
