Joby has recently completed its demonstration flight with its hydrogen-electric aircraft emitting water as the only byproduct. The vertical take-off and landing demonstrator aircraft concluded its landmark 523-mile flight on June 24, 2024, above Marina, California. This groundbreaking technology marks the potential to operate emission-free regional flights.
Aircraft design
Joby has collaborated with its subsidiary, H2FLY, to design an emission-free aircraft powered by hydrogen and batteries as fuel. Their subsidiary built and designed the fuel cell system which takes liquid hydrogen from the fuel tank and uses it to produce electricity with water and heat as byproducts. From there, the electricity produced powers the six electric motors fitted on the aircraft. The batteries alongside the fuel tank source the additional power while taking off and landing. Meanwhile, the company built the liquid hydrogen fuel tank which has a storage capacity of 40kgs.
The pre-production prototype aircraft is a stepping stone towards the company’s future technology program. Currently, they aim to commence commercial operations of its hydrogen-electric air taxi to take off next year. The company’s founder and CEO, JoeBen Bevirt, shares that “The vast majority of the design, testing, and certification work we’ve completed on our battery-electric aircraft carries over to commercializing hydrogen-electric flight. In service, we also expect to be able to use the same landing pads, the same operations team, and Joby’s ElevateOS software that will support the commercial operation of our battery-electric aircraft.”
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Image: Joby
The landmark test flight was declared the pioneer of a demonstrator aircraft using liquid hydrogen as fuel and executing vertical take-off and landing. It marked a successful flight as it landed safely with 10% of its hydrogen fuel load still remaining. Joby’s devotion towards sustainability is signified by its advancement towards decarbonization of the aviation system. Initially using battery cells and eventually incorporating hydrogen tanks to power its aircraft is a bold step towards reducing the carbon footprints of the aviation industry at least at a regional level.
Decarbonization of aviation
Joby’s innovation in clean technology is bringing regional air travel more environmentally friendly and efficient as hydrogen-electric air crafts do not require any runway to operate and emit only water as a byproduct. Bevirt says, “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 aircraft.”
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Image: Joby
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Jeff Marootian recognizes Joby’s effort, saying “Clean hydrogen has the potential to help decarbonize our aviation system for decades to come.” Senior Advisor to California Governor Gavin Newsom and Director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, Dee Dee Myers, shares this sentiment, saying that its work “to decarbonize aviation, by advancing battery and now hydrogen fuel cell technology, is helping to fight climate change and create a clean energy future that will improve the lives of all Californians.” The company’s initiative of an emission-free aviation system is a substantial step towards sustainable regional transport through air taxis. Once the commercial operations commence, it is likely to attract a major pro-sustainability customer base.
YouTube: Joby Demonstrates Emissions-Free Regional Journeys With Landmark 523-Mile Hydrogen-Electric Flight
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Photo credit: The images used are owned by Joby and have been made available for press usage.
