Joby Aviation is an American aerospace company founded in 2009 by JoeBen Bevirt, headquartered in California and operating across more than 15 locations worldwide. The company is developing an all-electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft intended for commercial air taxi service, with a stated mission to transform urban mobility by replacing congested surface commutes with short aerial routes. The aircraft is designed to carry passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph over a range of up to 100 miles, with vertical takeoff and landing capability and zero direct emissions.
The company spent more than a decade designing, testing, and refining its eVTOL technology at an engineering site in the redwoods above Santa Cruz before moving toward commercialisation. It is currently advancing through the FAA certification process and scaling manufacturing. Joby has established strategic partnerships with Toyota, Delta Air Lines, and Uber, among others, and employs more than 2,500 people.
From an engineering standpoint, the core technical challenges span eVTOL aircraft design, electric propulsion systems, noise reduction, and the regulatory and production requirements associated with bringing a new aircraft category to market. The work sits at the intersection of aerospace engineering, electric powertrains, software, and certification - disciplines that require close collaboration across a large multidisciplinary team.
Joby's aircraft is designed to operate quietly and without direct emissions, positioning the service within the broader shift toward cleaner passenger transport. The company's long development timeline and depth of technical partnerships reflect the complexity of certifying and scaling a new class of aircraft for everyday commercial use.