The Joby Aviation company made a breakthrough in the field of air transport, successfully completing a test flight on a hydrogen engine with a length of 842 kilometers. This achievement demonstrates the potential for emission-free regional aviation.
Joby Aviation said its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, which runs on hydrogen, has successfully covered a distance of 523 miles (841.7 km). The only byproduct of this prototype is water vapor, making it completely environmentally friendly.
This flight was the first of its kind for an eVTOL powered by liquid water. Joby kept most of the design features of its electric air taxi, but replaced some of the batteries with a fuel tank capable of storing up to 40 kilograms of liquid hydrogen. Electricity generated by the fuel cells powers the air taxi's six electric motors, while batteries provide additional power during takeoff and landing.
Joby Aviation plans to start commercial operation of its air taxi as early as 2025. The EVTOL does not require a runway and has a range of up to 100 miles (161 km), making it ideal for short trips such as from home to the airport. If the hydrogen models go into production, it could lead to emissions-free long-distance aviation, a faster alternative to traveling by car or traditional airplanes.
A major challenge to realizing this vision is obtaining enough liquid hydrogen from an environmentally friendly pure sources. However, Joby founder and CEO Joben Bevirt is confident that governments will support the supply and distribution of “green” hydrogen The US has already allocated $7 billion to build green hydrogen hubs across the country as part of the infrastructure law.
“The world is transitioning to a hydrogen economy, and aviation is one of the most important applications of this “green” ; hydrogen”, – said Bevirt.