Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE:JOBY) has achieved a notable accomplishment with a recent hydrogen electric powered demonstrator flight.
The company successfully flew a hydrogen electric air taxi demonstrator an impressive 523 miles, with water as the only emission.
This flight highlights the potential of hydrogen technology to revolutionize regional air travel, offering a cleaner alternative to traditional aviation methods.
VTOL
The aircraft, which features vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capabilities, builds upon Joby’s successful battery electric air taxi development program.
This innovative approach demonstrates the potential for hydrogen to enable emissions-free, regional journeys that don’t require a runway, paving the way for more flexible and environmentally friendly air travel options.
JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby, spoke about the achievement. “Traveling by air is central to human progress, but we need to find ways to make it cleaner.”
“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.”
Hydrogen and UAM
Bevirt painted a vivid picture of the future, describing scenarios where passengers could fly between major cities like San Francisco and San Diego, or Boston and Baltimore.
This would be achievable without the need for traditional airports and with zero harmful emissions. He emphasized that this vision is closer to reality than ever before, thanks to the progress Joby has made in certifying their battery electric aircraft.
The landmark test flight is believed to be the first forward flight of a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft powered by liquid hydrogen. It was completed using a converted Joby pre-production prototype.
This aircraft was fitted with a liquid hydrogen fuel tank and fuel cell system. Impressively, the aircraft landed with 10% of its hydrogen fuel load remaining. This highlights the efficiency and range potential of this new propulsion system.
AFWERX Commendation
Jacob Wilson, (Acting) Branch Chief of AFWERX Agility Prime, commended Joby’s efforts, stating that their work aligns with broader Department of Defense goals. This focus is on energy substitution, diversification, and demand reduction.
This endorsement from a military perspective shows the potential applications of this technology beyond civilian use.
Dee Dee Myers, Senior Advisor to California Governor Gavin Newsom further highlighted California’s commitment to clean technology and high-tech manufacturing.
She praised Joby’s pioneering work in decarbonizing aviation, noting their advancements in both battery and hydrogen fuel cell technology.
These are contributing to the fight against climate change and creating a cleaner energy future for California.
The hydrogen electric demonstrator froms part of Joby’s future technology program. It represents years of collaboration between a small team at Joby and H2FLY, the company’s wholly owned subsidiary based in Stuttgart, Germany.
The converted aircraft had previously completed over 25,000 miles of testing as a battery-electric aircraft at Joby’s base in Marina, CA.
Demonstrator Aircraft Technical Specs
The technical details of the hydrogen electric demonstrator are impressive. It features a liquid hydrogen fuel tank designed and built by Joby. This is capable of storing up to 40 kilograms of liquid hydrogen.
The fuel cell system, designed and built by H2FLY, converts the hydrogen into electricity, water, and heat.
This electricity powers the six electric motors on the Joby aircraft. Batteries then provide additional power primarily during takeoff and landing phases.
Joby’s commitment to innovation extends beyond hydrogen technology. The company recently bought Xwing Inc., a leader in autonomous aviation technology.
Xwing has already achieved significant milestones, including 250 fully autonomous flights and over 500 auto landings. This was achieved using their in-house developed Superpilot software.
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, Joby plans to launch commercial operations with its battery-electric air taxi as early as 2025.
Substantial financial support backs Joby’s ambitious goals. Joby has raised more than $2 billion in funding from prominent investors. These investors include Toyota, Delta Air Lines, SK Telecom, Uber, and Baillie Gifford.
Joby Aviation continues to push the boundaries of sustainable aviation technology. Their success with both battery-electric and hydrogen-electric aircraft positions them as an industry pioneer.
Their innovative approach promises to transform and influence the developing urban and regional air mobility sector.
