US company successfully executes regional-range test flight with hydrogen-electric air taxi
The Joby hydrogen-electric flight demonstrator on its range-demonstration flight, trailing only water vapour
Photo by Joby Aviation
The Joby hydrogen-electric flight demonstrator on its range-demonstration flight, trailing only water vapour
Photo by Joby Aviation
US-based electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) air taxi company Joby Aviation has announced that its hydrogen-electric demonstrator air taxi has successfully completed a 523-mile (841.7 km) test flight.
The only emission generated by the flight was water (in vapour form). The flight took place on June 24, and originated and ended at Marina, in the US state of California.
The flight is believed to be the first forward flight of a VTOL aircraft using liquid hydrogen as its fuel. The aircraft itself was a pre- production example of a battery-electric eVTOL design, also developed by Joby, which was converted to a fuel cell power system, including the installation of a liquid hydrogen fuel tank. The tank has a capacity of 40 kg of liquid hydrogen. The fuel cell powers six electric motors, each driving a proprotor. The aircraft retains some batteries, to provide additional power on take-off and landing. When it landed at the end of this test flight, the aircraft still had 10% of its hydrogen fuel in the tank.
Joby started out with a focus on battery- electric air taxis, for use in urban areas. In 2021, it acquired hydrogen-electric flight company H2FLY, which developed the hydrogen fuel cell system used in this technology demonstrator aircraft. Joby’s conception is that its hydrogen-electric aircraft will operate regionally, complementing its battery-electric urban flight operations.
“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 aircraftaircraft,” said Joby founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt.
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