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Along the Manhattan waterfront on Friday, a small crowd watched a piloted electric flying car lift off and cruise down the Hudson—an outcome that would have seemed implausible just a few years ago.
The aircraft is part of Joby Aviation’s push to commercialize electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Joby, a US-based company with a market value of about $9 billion, says its aircraft could cut travel time from downtown Manhattan to major metro airports such as JFK and LaGuardia from more than an hour to fewer than 10 minutes.
Joby’s eVTOL takes off like a helicopter but is designed to be much quieter. It uses electric propulsion and is described as zero-emission. The aircraft can tilt its rotors forward to fly forward at higher speeds, similar to a propeller-driven aircraft.
During the demonstration, the aircraft circled to land after flying over the Hudson. It can fly up to 200 mph and up to 150 miles on a single charge. The flight carried up to four passengers and one pilot.
Highly experienced Joby test pilot James “Buddy” Denham flew the eVTOL down the Hudson River to the 34th East St heliport from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. The event was observed by attendees rather than conducted as a passenger ride.
In flight, the aircraft demonstrated significantly lower noise than a helicopter, at about 45 decibels—described as less than half the level of a comparable helicopter. During the return to New York-JFK, the aircraft lifted off vertically before shifting its rotors 90 degrees into forward flight over the water.
Joby’s six tilting propellers are powered by electric batteries and rotate more slowly than traditional helicopter blades. The propellers can independently adjust their tilt, pitch, and rotation, contributing to low noise, safety, and controllability. The six-propeller design also provides redundancy: if one fails, backups remain available.
Rob Wiesenthal, founder and CEO of Blade (which sold its passenger transport business to Joby in August 2025 for up to $125 million), said recharge time would be just five to 10 minutes, supporting quick turnarounds.
Joby plans to market and sell flights through a partnership with Delta. Under the plan, travelers would deplane from their jetliner near Manhattan or Los Angeles and transfer to the eVTOL to fly into the city, with Delta handling bookings and customer interface while Joby operates the flights.
Wiesenthal said Joby’s eVTOL fares would be roughly the price of an Uber Black on a per-seat basis, though he did not provide an exact figure. He cited that an Uber Black price around 2 pm Friday between JFK and the heliport was just under $150.
By comparison, Blade’s helicopter transfers (operating under Joby) were about $250 on the same route at the same time, with prices as low as $195 depending on the day and route. Joby is also partnered with Uber, with the goal of eventually deploying an air-taxi rideshare app instead of car-based rides.
Joby’s demonstration is part of a broader effort by the US Department of Transportation to accelerate the rollout of electric air taxis in major cities. The aircraft can use existing heliports, while a network of chargers and vertiports is planned across Joby’s route network, including Florida and California.
Wiesenthal said he expects regular air taxi service in New York City by the end of 2026. He described Joby’s eVTOL as roughly two-thirds through the Federal Aviation Administration certification process, while noting that delays remain possible.
He also said competitors are on similar timelines, but rollout will depend on how well companies demonstrate reliability, safety, and functionality to regulators.
Wiesenthal argued that electric air taxis could have an advantage over helicopters that burn jet fuel, pointing to uncertainty in fuel costs and availability amid the oil crisis triggered by the war against Iran.
He also said the current push for advanced air mobility has accelerated under the current administration, adding that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wants to beat China and that embracing the technology is important.
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