Joby’s Electric Air Taxis Take to the Skies in New York
Sometimes called “flying cars”, eVTOLs have taken to New York skies in Joby Aviation’s electric air taxi demonstration flights.
These are first-ever point-to-point eVTOL demonstration flights in New York City.
The technology could rapidly scale and deploy, with McKinsey predicting that passenger advanced-air-mobility operators could rival today's largest airlines in flights per day and fleet size by 2030.
The demonstration
The demonstration flights across New York city marked the start of a week-long campaign across the city’s existing heliport network.
Joby says the demonstration of the air taxis shows how the flying EVs can connect the region, linking vertiports, international airports and communities across the New York Metropolitan area.
JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby, says: “New York has always been a city that defines the future by demanding better.
“We first flew here in 2023, and now we’re showing what the next chapter looks like: a quiet, zero operating emissions air taxi service designed to better serve New Yorkers.
"This week, flying between JFK and Manhattan, we showed what the White House-backed eIPP initiative makes possible and offered New York a look at what’s coming.“
Joby’s eVTOL
Joby’s electric flying taxis are powered by six electric motors, six propellers, four battery packs and a triple-redundant flight computer.
The vehicles can fly at up to 200 mph at 10,000 ft.
The eVTOL is made with a titanium-alluminium-carbon fiber airframe supported by components made using robotic 3D printing.
eVTOLs in The US
US President Donald Trump’s Executive Order titled “UNLEASHING AMERICAN DRONE DOMINANCE” issued a public request for proposals to state, local, tribal and territorial governments from private sector partners with demonstrated experience in eVTOL aircraft development, manufacturing and operations.
Joby was named a partner on five selected projects, spanning 12 states of the federal eVTOL Integration Pilot Program which aims to expand eVTOL rollout across the US.
China has its own rollout of eVTOLs, with Xpeng expecting to release its “flying cars” in 2027.
Joby’s partnerships with Blade, Delta and Uber
Central to Joby’s New York strategy was the 2025 acquisition of Blade Air Mobility’s passenger business, which is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Joby.
Blade is an air mobility company offering helicopter services.
Joby says its subsidiary Blade provides the foundation for commercial electric air taxi service at scale.
Joby also has partnerships with Delta Air Lines and Uber. The company says that through these partnerships, it aims to create an end-to-end experience that connects ground transportation and air travel in a single journey.
