Joby Aviation rolls first eVTOL off production line and is already FAA certified to begin test flights
eVTOL developer Joby Aviation has completed building the first aircraft off its pilot production line in Southern California. The Joby aircraft is expected to become the “first ever eVTOL to be delivered to a customer” next year, but it will need to complete flight testing before then. Luckily, the FAA has already issued certification.
Joby Aviation, Inc. ($JOBY) is a company developing electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft with the goal of operating a fast, quiet, emissions-free passenger transportation service to cities around the globe – like the bay area near its pilot production line in Marina, California.
The startup first caught our attention back in 2018 when it garnered $100 million in funding, led by the venture arms of Intel, JetBlue, and Toyota. In 2020, Toyota led Joby’s Series C funding round, investing a whopping $394 million of the $590M pledged.
As part of that investment, Toyota acquired a minority stake in Joby, in which it said it would share its expertise in manufacturing, quality, and cost controls to support eVTOL development and production.
This past April, Toyota and Joby extended their relationship further with a new supply agreement to enable the scaling of genuine eVTOL production. That funding and production insight has paid off so far, as Joby has its pilot line humming and has just rolled its first eVTOL production prototype off of it.
Joby eVTOL prototype cleared for (vertical) takeoff
Joby’s production eVTOL prototype represents the company’s steady progress in delivering its first commercial aircraft to a customer before reaching coveted scaled production. The precursor to today’s latest prototype was Joby’s pre-production eVTOL, which has flown over 30,000 miles since it was built in 2019.
California Governor Gavin Newsom visited Joby’s facilities on Sunday for an up close look before the company hosts a ceremony to celebrate the launch of pilot production today. It will be attended by the Toyota Motor North America president and CEO, Tetsuo “Ted” Ogawa, and over 1,000 other guests. Ogawa is also scheduled to join Joby’s board of directors on July 1, 2023. Joby founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt spoke to the company’s progress:
Today’s achievement is the culmination of years of investment in our processes and technology and it marks a major step on our journey to scaled production. We’re proud to have launched production in our home state of California. I’m incredibly grateful to the Joby team for their commitment to ensuring Joby remains the clear leader in this new sector and to Toyota for sharing their knowledge and experience with us over many years. Their support has been indispensable in helping us reach this point.
Joby states the production prototype eVTOL has been designed and manufactured in accordance with the quality and management requirements from the Federal Aviation Administration in order to begin commercial operations. That day hasn’t come just yet, but the FAA has certified Joby’s newest eVTOL to begin test flights.
The company says testing will continue through 2023 before the prototype is delivered to Edwards Air Force Base in California for additional demonstrations and use case testing as part of the contract with the Air Force worth as much as $131 million.
Following its first customer delivery, Joby looks to achieve commercial flight certification, which will enable scaled eVTOL production in California. Commercial passenger operations are expected to begin in 2025 with companies like Joby’s latest partner, Delta Airlines.
The company promised to share the “expected performance” of its eVTOL aircraft during the ceremony today, so we will be sure to update this piece with some specs if we get them. We also hope Joby will eventually put out some test flight footage once the production prototype takes to the air.
Until then, here’s an up close look at the eVTOL recently captured by Joby.
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SolarEdge and Solar Landscape are going to turn hundreds of empty commercial rooftops into solar energy generators in the US.
The two companies announced today that they’ve struck a deal to use SolarEdge’s US-made solar technology in more than 500 commercial rooftop projects across multiple states. Construction will take place in 2025 and 2026.
The installations will be built on large-scale commercial and industrial buildings – think warehouses and distribution centers – with a ton of untapped solar potential.
“Generating electricity on commercial rooftops and distributing it into the grid is America’s most shovel-ready energy option,” said Shaun Keegan, CEO of commercial rooftop solar developer Solar Landscape. “Our partnership with SolarEdge allows us to rapidly and efficiently deploy solar across a diverse array of commercial and industrial rooftops. Their US-manufactured technology gives us the reliability and performance we need while meeting domestic content requirements for our projects.”
Using US-made tech helps projects qualify for federal incentives while reducing delays by keeping supply chains local. SolarEdge says its domestic manufacturing operations have already created about 2,000 American jobs.
Naama Ohana, who heads up SolarEdge’s commercial & industrial division, said, “This collaboration demonstrates how American innovation and manufacturing are helping to address the nation’s growing energy needs while strengthening local economies.”
In 2024 alone, Solar Landscape leased 40 million square feet of rooftop space in the US, and it aims to deploy enough solar to power around 80,000 homes. The company now has more than 80 partners who own over 2 billion square feet of commercial property nationwide.
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Hyundai is preparing to launch what’s expected to be its most advanced EV yet. With its official launch just around the corner, Hyundai’s new Elexio SUV is already beating expectations in global testing.
Hyundai’s Elexio electric SUV impresses in global tests
We got our first look at the Elexio in May after Hyundai’s joint venture with BAIC, Beijing Hyundai unveiled the new electric SUV in Shanghai.
After warning that China is a “must-fight place” for global automakers, including itself, Hyundai is stepping up to the plate.
The Elexio is “a new starting point,” the company claims. Dubbed the IONIQ 5 of China, Hyundai’s new electric SUV is packed with smart technology, fast charging capabilities, and advanced features, boasting a CLTC driving range of 435 miles (700 km).
Ahead of its official launch in China in the next few weeks, the Elexio is already making a statement during global tests.
Hyundai’s new electric SUV has now undergone three crash tests, among other global evaluations, consistently outperforming safety, quality, and performance expectations each time.
After impressing during front, side, and ditch rollover safety tests, Hyundai credited the five layers of ultra-high-strength steel plating, dubbed “God’s Hand,” around the frame. In fact, it has a 360-degree reinforced body design with eight horizontal and seven vertical floor beams.
In a -30℃ (-22F) chamber, the Elexio still started up and charged while the battery preconditioned. It also lost less driving range than the average. The Elexio lost 39% of its range compared to an average of around 40% at -7℃ (19.4°F).
The final global ride and handling road test proved Hyundai’s electric SUV is ready to hit the streets. Hyundai simulated 17 types of “bad urban road” conditions to see if the Elexio could handle them.
Based on Hyundai’s E-GMP platform, the company claims the Elexio offers “the highest suspension configuration in its class.” Added high-end shock absorber valves and hydraulic bushings to minimize vibration, while providing drivers with more control over the vehicle. Hyundai fine-tuned the suspension over 300 times for the perfect ride.
After China’s MIIT released sales info last month, we learned that Hyundai’s new electric SUV is 4,615 mm in length, 1,875 mm in width, and 1,673 mm in height, which is slightly smaller than the Tesla Model Y.
It will be available in single and dual-motor powertrain options, providing 160 kW (214 hp) and 233 kW (312 hp) of output, respectively. The LFP batteries will be supplied by BYD’s battery unit, FinDream.
Hyundai is set to launch the Elexio in China in the third quarter of 2025. Prices will be announced closer to launch, but according to CarNewsChina, it’s expected to start at around 140,000 yuan ($19,500).
Source: TheKoreanCarBlog, Beijing Hyundai
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Tesla is rumored to be behind a large $4 billion lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery cell order with Korea’s LG Energy Solution.
Yesterday, LG reported having secured a $4.3 billion order for LFP battery cells from its new factory in the US from August 2027 to July 2030.
The Korean company didn’t confirm the identity of the customer, but it did mention that the cells will be used in stationary energy storage products, which prompted many people to speculate that Tesla is behind the order.
Tesla currently produces Megapacks and Powerwalls in the US with LFP battery cells from China.
We previously reported that this is a problem amid the trade war between the US and China.
As of last year, a 25% tariff already applied to battery cells from China, but this increased to more than 80% under Trump before he paused some tariffs on China. It remains unclear where they will end up by the time negotiations are complete and the trade war is resolved, but many expect it to be higher.
Prior to Trump taking power, Tesla had already planned to build a small LFP battery factory in the US to avoid the 25% tariffs.
The automaker had secured older manufacturing equipment from one of its battery cell suppliers, CATL, and planned to deploy it in the US for small-scale production.
Tesla recently unveiled some images of the factory, which it claims is almost complete, but it is expected to be limited to less than 10 GWh of LFP battery cell production per year at full capacity, while Tesla produces more than 40 GWh of energy storage products per year in the US.
LG’s LFP battery cells made in the US would enable Tesla to close the gap between its own battery cell production and its Megapack and Powerwall production.
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