eVTOL developer Joby Aviation is starting to make good on a massive contract signed with the US Department of Defense this year. The company is not only celebrating its delivery of Joby aircraft to the US Air Force, but it is also claiming to be the first company to deliver an all-electric air taxi to a customer in the entire country… and it did so ahead of schedule.
Joby Aviation ($JOBY) is an increasingly better-known eVTOL developer that is quickly moving ever closer to becoming a fully certified scaled aircraft manufacturer in the US, especially with the help of the US military. The company recently shared it will call the state of Ohio its US home for manufacturing, in the same town as aviation trailblazer Orville Wright.
Previously, we’ve watched the startup garner significant funding from companies like Intel, JetBlue, and Toyota – the latter of which has evolved into a major partner in helping Joby reach scaled eVTOL commercial operations.
However, the company truly turned some heads this past April when it secured a $131 million contract with the US Department of Defense (DOD), including at least nine aircraft – two of which were air taxis for the Edwards Air Force Base in California.
Originally, the first air taxi was expected to reach the Air Force base in early 2024, but Joby recently confirmed it has already been delivered.
Joby delivers to Air Force first of (potentially) many air taxis
According to news from Joby Aviation, the first of at least two all-electric air taxis has been delivered to the Edwards Air Force base and will soon be operated by US military pilots as a demonstrator eVTOL for logistics missions on base.
Pilots from Joby Aviation will also partake in the demonstration flights in California, which will include rides such as cargo and passenger transportation. Joby shared that NASA will also use the air taxi for research pertaining to national airspace as part of a partnership with the US Air Force, potentially benefiting the entire nascent mobility industry. Per Joby founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt:
We’re proud to join the ranks of revolutionary aircraft that first demonstrated their capabilities at Edwards Air Force Base, including the first American jet fighter, the first supersonic aircraft, and many others that have pushed the boundaries of aviation technology. The longstanding support of the DoD and NASA has been critical to the rapid development of electric aviation and eVTOL aircraft, and demonstrates how successful public-private partnerships can bring new technology to life at speed. Their work will have profound implications for continued American leadership in both commercial and defense aerospace technology.
According to Joby, its electric air taxi has already begun flights at the Edwards Air Force base, making it the first to ever be stationed on a base in the US. The recent delivery is part of a $131 million AFWERX Agility Prime contract Joby currently has with the US Air Force. That being said, the aviation company’s current contract potential with the DoD tallies $163 million in value.
Joby shared that over the past year, the US Air Force and Marines have taken multiple visits to the air taxi company’s flight test facilities in Marina, California, and four pilots have already completed full remotely piloted transition flights of the aircraft this past April. Two groups of Marines also visited in May to conduct mission analysis regarding the potential logistics and medical applications of the eVTOLs.
Joby is currently manufacturing its eVTOL aircraft out of the aforementioned facility in Marina as it works to erect its new facility in Ohio. You can check out a video of today’s delivery to the US Air Force below:
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Hyundai is about to launch a new electric SUV in China. With its big debut coming up, Hyundai just dropped a sneak peek, and it looks like it could be the IONIQ 4. Check it out for yourself in the video below.
Is Hyundai teasing the IONIQ 4?
We caught our first glimpse of the new EV model last month after Beijing Hyundai released a few official “spy” photos.
Despite the camouflage, you can see a few design elements, like a light bar across the front, slim LED headlights, and a closed-off grille. At first, it almost looks like a smaller version of the IONIQ 9, Hyundai’s first three-row electric SUV, but with a much sportier, shaped profile.
Beijing Hyundai released a new teaser for the upcoming electric SUV this week. The video shows “a wave of high-end operations” as the vehicle dances across the snow.
The video highlights features like real-time torque control, high-speed cornering, and the SUV’s impressive body control while driving around cones.
Hyundai’s new electric SUV is being called “OE” internally, according to The Korean Car Blog, suggesting it could be an IONIQ model.
All other Hyundai IONIQ EV models were also codenamed with an “E” internally, which is raising speculation that this could be the IONIQ 4.
Like most global OEMs, Hyundai is fighting to compete in an intense Chinese EV market, which is dominated by domestic automakers like BYD.
Hyundai opened its first overseas R&D center last year in China to spearhead its comeback. It will work with local suppliers and tech companies to develop EVs designed for Chinese buyers. The new electric SUV is expected to launch in China later this year, followed by three new energy vehicles, including EVs and EREVs.
Beijing Hyundai will release more information on April 16, with the electric SUV set to “challenge the limit of driving performance.”
What do you think of Hyundai’s new electric SUV? Is this the IONIQ 4? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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Charge point provider char.gy has secured a £130 million contract to install 6,000 curbside EV chargers for Brighton and Hove City Council (BHCC) – the UK’s largest installation of its kind.
London-based char.gy has also been awarded a 15-year contract to operate and maintain the charging network.
Installing Level 2 chargers curbside, where most drivers in the UK park, will enable more people to take advantage of cheaper charging rates while juicing up their EVs overnight. (charg.gy’s pay as you go night tariff, between midnight and 7 am, is £0.39/kWh, compared to its £0.59/kWh day tariff.)
John Lewis, chief executive of char.gy, said the project is “a huge moment for the UK and its EV ambitions. This partnership alone will empower thousands of residents to confidently make the switch to electric vehicles, knowing they have easy access to chargers.”
Brighton and Hove City Council is among the first to tap into the government’s Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund, designed to help English local authorities roll out charging solutions for residents without off-street parking. Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood said making EV charging as accessible as possible is “crucial to making the switch to electric a success.”
The UK now has over 75,000 public EV chargers, according to the Department for Transport—and it looks like the country’s on pace to hit its 2030 target. Back in December, the National Audit Office said the rollout is “on track” to meet the DfT’s estimate that at least 300,000 chargers will be needed by the end of the decade.
Read more: Meet the UK’s largest solar + storage EV charging ‘Superhub’
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