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Joby flies a hydrogen-electric version of its air taxi 523 miles, landing with 10% of its hydrogen left
Joby flew a hydrogen-electric demonstrator, converted from a battery-electric prototype, 523 miles in June 2024, landing with 10% liquid hydrogen remaining. A 40 kg liquid-hydrogen tank fed a fuel cell built by Joby subsidiary H2FLY that powered six motors, producing only water vapour as emission.
- Hydrogen fuel cell built by H2FLY, Joby's Stuttgart-based subsidiary, powers six electric motors
- Smaller batteries supplemented power during takeoff and landing phases where hydrogen fuel cell performance is limited
- Prior to hydrogen conversion, airframe had completed over 25,000 miles of battery-electric test flights
- Believed to be the first forward flight of a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft powered by liquid hydrogen