A California-based electric aircraft company, Joby Aviation, recently announced that they flew an air taxi 523 miles (840 kilometers) using hydrogen fuel. During its flight, Joby’s prototype vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft released only water vapor as exhaust, showing the world that emission-free air travel is possible.

The aviation industry is responsible for 2.5 percent of global CO₂ emissions, making it a major contributor to the climate emergency. Innovations like Joby’s air demonstrator can prove to be a boon for both the environment and people. It has the potential to free our skies from the greenhouse gases released by regional flights and make air travel convenient for domestic travelers.

“We’re excited to now be building a technology stack that could redefine regional travel using hydrogen-electric aircraft. Imagine being able to fly from San Francisco to San Diego, Boston to Baltimore, or Nashville to New Orleans without the need to go to an airport and with no emissions except water,” JoeBen Bevirt, CEO and Founder of Joby Aviation, said. 

How does the hydrogen-powered air taxi work?

The Joby Aviation team specializes in making battery-powered aircraft. They have conducted multiple successful electric flight tests during which their air taxis completed a total distance of over 25,000 miles. 

In 2021, Joby Aviation acquired H2FLY, a German company working on making hydrogen fuel technology feasible for the aviation industry. Together, they converted one of Joby’s eVTOLs into a hydrogen-electric aircraft. They removed a large number of batteries (though not all) from the eVTOL and installed a hydrogen fuel tank and fuel system designed by H2FLY.

The fuel tank can store 40 kg of liquid hydrogen. When hydrogen from the tank reaches the fuel cell system, it generates electricity, heat, and water. This electricity powers the six motors of Joby’s air taxi during flight, while the remaining batteries supply the additional power needed for take-off and landing.   

The hydrogen-electric air taxi demonstrator successfully covered a distance of 523 miles over Marina City in California on June 24. The fuel tank had 40 kg of liquid hydrogen before take-off and the aircraft still had 10 percent of fuel when it landed.

“The landmark test flight, believed to be the first forward flight of a vertical take-off and landing aircraft powered by liquid hydrogen, was completed last month. It landed with 10% of its hydrogen fuel load remaining,” the Joby Aviation team notes.

The future of Joby’s hydrogen-electric air taxi

Joby is not the only company involved in the business of making air taxis. It is also not the first company to conduct flight tests using hydrogen fuel. However, there are certain features of their air taxi which make it different and more practical than others.

For example, they have designed their aircraft to produce low noise levels during takeoff, flight, and landing. This is very important because noise is a real concern in the context of these vehicles’ operation.

Suppose you book an air taxi early morning or at midnight for an urgent meeting. The taxi arrives on time but ends up waking up nearby people because of the noise of its engine and rotors.

The Joby Aviation team claims that their users won’t face any such issues as their air taxis can land in a residential area without making much noise.

“From the beginning, we knew our aircraft had to fade into the background of life. Our expert team of engineers has dedicated years to delivering an aircraft that will be quiet enough to land in your neighborhood,” the Joby Aviation team notes.

The company aims to start providing commercial electric air taxi service by 2025, and is currently waiting for FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) approval. However, it might take longer to launch their hydrogen-powered taxi operations due to regulatory challenges. 

“We recognize that broadly commercializing hydrogen will require doing the hard miles on regulation and infrastructure, along with fuel storage and distribution, but we have demonstrated that regional hydrogen-electric flight is possible today,” Bevirt said.