Joby Aviation hosted a demo flight event of its piloted air taxi \u2014 from Oakland Airport to the Marin Headlands in minutes, as the company plans to launch trial operations in 10 states with potential plans for a pilotless taxi in the future, but it\u2019s unclear when it will launch in California.<\/p>\n
As the Chronicle reports<\/a>, SF-based electric air taxi company, Joby Aviation, presented its new piloted flying taxi with a demo flight at the St. Francis Yacht Club Thursday. The Business Wire reports<\/a> that Joby\u2019s four-passenger taxi, piloted by Andrea Pingitore, began its trip at Oakland International Airport, shooting across the bay toward the Marin Headlands at 100 mph before turning back around by way of Alcatraz, all in about 10 minutes, per the Chronicle, and the taxi was essentially silent during the flight.<\/p>\n Joby says its piloted air taxis will reduce hour-long road trips to 10 minutes or less, as KGO reports. Per the Chronicle, a one-way flight from SoMa to Wine Country would cost around $100 to $170, about the same price as an Uber Black luxury town car. <\/p>\n The Chronicle reports that Joby\u2019s air taxi, consisting of six propellers and four passenger seats, is a compact 14 meters wide and 7\u00bd meters long, which Didier Papadopoulos, Joby Aviation\u2019s President of Aircraft OEM, called \u201cthe sweet spot for the market. Basically the size of a Yukon SUV,\u201d he said, but with a very large wingspan.<\/p>\n Per the Business Wire, the US Department of Transportation recently chose Joby for its new federal Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Integration Pilot Program (eVTOL), allowing the company to move forward with for-credit testing this year. <\/p>\n Trial operations through the program are scheduled to begin in a few months in 10 states, including Arizona, Florida, Idaho, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, and Utah, as KGO reports<\/a>, and Joby hopes to expand to California soon after. Per KGO, Joby plans to offer cargo delivery in Florida and medical operations in North Carolina, and the company is considering developing autonomous taxis in the future.<\/p>\n As SFist reported<\/a> in 2024, Joby has been neck-and-neck with competitor Archer Aviation for the past few years, and the companies are currently suing each other. As CNBC reported<\/a> in November, Joby sued Archer Aviation in late 2025 alleging theft of trade secrets and corporate espionage. Archer filed a countersuit Wednesday alleging Joby Aviation concealed its ties to China and defrauded the US government, as Benzinga reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n Joby\u2019s headquarters are in Santa Cruz with offices in Marina \u2014 manufacturing and flight testing and San Carlos, California, as well as Washington, DC and Munich, Germany. Per KGO, Joby employs more than 2,500 workers \u2014 many in Northern California, and the company is boosting manufacturing in both Northern California and Ohio.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Bay Area is home to the world\u2019s most innovative companies, including Joby, but it\u2019s also an area with significant traffic and unique geographical barriers,\u201d said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby, per the Business Wire. \u201cOur technology provides an opportunity to build on the immense potential of this region while protecting it for the next generation. By providing clean, quiet service with minimal infrastructure investment we are making flight an everyday reality for the community.\u201d<\/p>\n The Chronicle reports that Bay Area real estate developers are embracing the technology and have been developing plans for roof top helipads for clients.<\/p>\n Image: Joby Aviation<\/p>\n