Joby Aviation is Uber’s latest eVTOL OEM partner

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Uber has partnered with eVTOL manufacturer Joby Aviation to supply and operate aircraft. (Image courtesy of Uber).

Pioneer eVTOL manufacturer Joby Aviation is the latest OEM to partner with Uber to supply and operate its aircraft on the Uber Air service.

Uber plans to bring its eVTOL air-taxi service to market in 2023, and Joby Aviation is the first of Uber’s six OEM partners to commit to flying its aircraft on the service by that date.

Joby raised $100m in a Series B round led by Intel Capital, with other major backers including JetBlue and Toyota. It had also raised an undisclosed amount in January 2019 from its parent company Joby. The total amount the company has publicly raised is $131m.

With the cash, Joby Aviation developed a flying prototype which it is currently flying at the company’s private airfield in Northern California.

JoeBen Bevirt, Joby Aviation’s CEO said: “We’re excited to partner with Uber. By bringing our next-generation aircraft and urban flight operations to Uber’s on-demand ground mobility network, we aim to get people to their destinations five-times faster than driving, to reduce urban congestion and accelerate the shift to sustainable modes of transit.”

Through the partnership, Joby Aviation will supply and operate the electric air taxis and Uber will provide airspace support services, skyport infrastructure, connections to Uber ground transport and customer interfaces.

Eric Allison, head of Elevate, said: “Every day we are getting closer to a future of transportation where people can push a button and get an affordable flight. Joby is a real technology leader whose vehicles aim to be designed to enable a safe, quiet, and affordable service for Uber Air riders. With this partnership, we are excited to take the next step in bringing our on-demand aerial ridesharing service to life.”

Uber’s has also announced eVTOL partnerships with Jaunt, Embraer, Pipistrel, Karem Aircraft, Aurora Flight Sciences and Bell.

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