In a hangar at a decommissioned Army airbase in Marina, California, Joby Aviation’s electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft—eVTOL—sits ready on the tarmac. The company’s simulator replicates the experience: six articulating propellers lift the craft vertically before tilting forward to accelerate like a fixed-wing airplane. Capable of 100 miles per charge at 200 miles per hour, Joby’s design aims to make short-range aerial travel quiet, efficient, and accessible.
Founder JoeBen Bevirt envisions a future where “moving around in the air becomes as commonplace as moving around in automobiles.” His aircraft produces around 45 decibels at 1,600 feet—well below typical city noise levels—thanks to extensive blade design testing. The goal is to deliver passengers to destinations five times faster than ground transport, at competitive prices.
The emerging eVTOL sector is crowded, with over 200 companies developing air taxis and personal flying machines. Archer Aviation, partnering with United Airlines, plans routes from Manhattan to Newark and downtown Chicago to O’Hare. Volocopter will debut passenger flights in Paris during the Olympic Games. China’s eHang has received regulatory clearance for its pilotless two-seater rideshare. Yet, former National Transportation Safety Board chair Christopher Hart warns of “unrealistic optimism about the timing,” likening eVTOL adoption to the delayed rollout of driverless cars.
Engineering challenges are formidable. eVTOLs combine helicopter-like vertical lift with airplane-style forward flight, requiring lightweight, high-energy batteries, redundant safety systems, and precise control electronics. Military VTOL aircraft such as the Osprey have suffered mechanical failures; civilian designs must meet stringent safety standards before widespread deployment. Regulatory agencies like the FAA must establish new specifications and flight-path rules for dense urban airspace.
Joby’s manufacturing strategy integrates design and production in-house, from microcomputers to propeller blades, aiming for automotive-style automation. Toyota, its largest outside investor, contributes expertise in high-volume, reliable manufacturing. Bevirt targets a long-term unit cost near $1 million, with a new factory planned in Ohio capable of producing hundreds of aircraft annually.
Archer takes a different approach, sourcing off-the-shelf components to accelerate entry into service. CEO Adam Goldstein emphasizes redundancy: “On the Midnight every critical system has duplicates that will keep it flying even if any of them fail.” He notes that helicopters’ high operating costs limit their use, while electric air taxis could be cheaper and safer.
Personal eVTOLs are also emerging. Jetson Aero’s single-seater, with eight surrounding propellers, has sold out its production run at $98,000 per unit. XPeng’s AeroHT subsidiary is developing the enclosed, two-seat X2, though regulatory approval remains uncertain.
Infrastructure will be key. Early services will likely operate from existing helipads at major airports, expanding to rooftop and parking-lot “vertiports.” Dubai plans a network connecting four city sectors; Eve Air Mobility projects 245 air taxis over Rio de Janeiro by 2035, carrying millions annually.
Safety concerns persist. A major urban crash could halt the industry, Hart cautions. Pilotless designs, like Wisk’s planned service before 2030, must earn public trust. “It has to be safe, just safe,” says Wisk CEO Brian Yutko.
Bevirt’s path to Joby began in the off-grid community of Last Chance, California, where he built his own mountain bike and devised ways to generate electricity. After founding and selling two successful companies, he returned to his childhood dream once battery technology matured. Starting in a redwood workshop, he and his team iterated through countless scale models before achieving full-scale flight in 2017. Toyota’s investment in 2020 marked a turning point toward scaled production.
From the Marina airfield, Joby’s eVTOL rises smoothly, transitions to forward flight, and returns with a subdued fan-like whoosh. It is more practical than flashy—quiet, efficient, and designed for mass adoption. As Bevirt puts it, “The existential challenge of our time is building sustainable solutions. This is part of the solution.”