Us Startup Joby Is Building An Electric Aircraft It Wants To Use To Fly People Between Airports And Cities For The Price Of An U

CEO JoeBen Bevirt with the Joby eVTOL prototype.Reuters The growing electric air taxi market is expected to be a $57 billion industry by 2035. Startups are racing to build the first certified eVTOL thanks to investments from airlines like United and Delta. Joby Aviation recently got the green light to start flight testing of its five-seater S4 2.0 eVTOL. The era of electric air taxis is almost here, and there are several competitors vying for a piece of the lucrative market.Startups like Archer Aviation, Vertical Aerospace, EVE Air Mobility, Boeing-backed Wisk, and Joby Aviation are all building a new type of aircraft known as an electric takeoff and landing vehicle, or eVTOL.Picture a giant drone big enough to carry people across at least 100 miles — and these aren't little pipe dreams, either.Organizations including the US military, Boeing, and several global airlines are investing millions into eVTOLs as the low-noise and zero-emission aircraft are expected to be a solution to congested city roadways.In 2021, United Airlines placed a $1 billion order for Archer's Midnight eVTOL, while Delta Air Lines invested $60 million into Joby Aviation in 2022.