Electric aircraft manufacturer Joby Aviation has announced plans to invest up to $500 million to establish a new facility in Dayton, Ohio. The 140-acre site, located at Dayton International Airport, will serve as Joby’s first serial production location. While the company has been building prototypes at its pilot production line in California, the new facility will focus on mass production of air taxis.
Joby’s founder, JoeBen Bevirt, revealed that the company is working towards obtaining Federal Aviation Administration certification for its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The certification is a crucial step towards commencing commercial passenger service by 2025. Joby plans to begin hiring immediately to kickstart the manufacturing of aircraft components at existing buildings on the Dayton site. Construction of the new production facility is scheduled to begin in 2024, with operations commencing in 2025.
The state of Ohio, along with several political organizations, has offered up to $325 million in incentives and benefits to develop the Dayton site. In the long term, the site has the potential to accommodate larger manufacturing facilities, supporting up to 2,000 jobs and producing 500 aircraft annually.
Unlike some of its eVTOL competitors, such as Archer Aviation and Beta Technologies, Joby’s business model more closely resembles rideshare apps. Rather than selling directly to airlines and logistics companies, Joby will operate air taxis owned by the company. Customers will be able to request rides on these air taxis, which can accommodate four passengers and a pilot.
In recent years, Joby has been conducting extensive testing on its full-scale aircraft. The company unveiled its first production-representative prototype in June. As Joby continues to work towards FAA certification, it is aggressively expanding its testing team to conduct the thousands of required tests and evaluations.
Sources:
– Reuters