US air-taxi completes 523-mile hydrogen-electric flight

Joby Aviation has successfully flown a hydrogen-electric air taxi demonstrator 523 miles, above Marina, California, with water as the only by-product.

The aircraft, which takes off and lands vertically, builds on Joby’s successful battery-electric air taxi development programme, and demonstrates the potential for hydrogen to unlock emissions-free, regional journeys that don’t require a runway.

Battery-electric air taxi

The landmark test flight, believed to be the first forward flight of a vertical take-off and landing aircraft powered by liquid hydrogen, was completed last month using a converted Joby pre-production prototype battery-electric aircraft fitted with a liquid hydrogen fuel tank and fuel cell system. It landed with 10 per cent of its hydrogen fuel load remaining.

“Travelling by air is central to human progress, but we need to find ways to make it cleaner,” said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO, Joby. “With our battery-electric air taxi set to fundamentally change the way we move around cities, we’re excited to now be building a technology stack that could redefine regional travel using hydrogen-electric aircraft.

“Their pioneering work to decarbonise aviation, by advancing battery and now hydrogen fuel cell technology, is helping to fight climate change and create a clean energy future that will improve the lives of all Californians”

“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. That world is closer than ever, and the progress we’ve made towards certifying the battery-electric version of our aircraft gives us a great head start as we look ahead to making hydrogen-electric flight a reality.

“The vast majority of the design, testing and certification work we’ve completed on our battery-electric aircraft carries over to commercialising hydrogen-electric flight. In service, we also expect to be able to use the same landing pads, the same operations team, and Joby’s ElevateOS software that will support the commercial operation of our battery-electric aircraft.”

“Joby is a stellar example of why California continues to lead the world in clean technology and high-tech manufacturing,” said Dee Dee Myers, senior advisor to California Governor Gavin Newsom and director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. “Their pioneering work to decarbonise aviation, by advancing battery and now hydrogen fuel cell technology, is helping to fight climate change and create a clean energy future that will improve the lives of all Californians.”