People have been dreaming of flying cars for generations, and while the technology is there, they still haven’t become commonplace.
Joby Aviation, however, might have the technology that will finally bring flying cars closer to becoming mainstream.
They recently performed a test on their hydrogen-electric air taxi, and in the process they broke the record for the longest flight without emissions.
Their aircraft is a modified electric vehicle. It boasts six rotors that allow it to take off, fly, and land safely, all without any harmful emissions thanks to its hydrogen fuel.
Their test flight took them over 840 kilometers (523 miles) in California, and they say it can go even further. The flight ended with the vehicle still having about 10% of its fuel left.
The only emissions from this flight was pure water.
JoeBen Bevirt, the founder and CEO of Joby Aviation, released a statement, saying:
“Imagine being able to fly from San Francisco to San Diego, Boston to Baltimore, or Nashville to New Orleans without the need to go to an airport and with no emissions except water. That world is closer than ever, and the progress we’ve made towards certifying the battery-electric version of our aircraft gives us a great head start as we look ahead to making hydrogen-electric flight a reality.”
The vehicle used for the test can hold 40 kilograms (88 pounds) of liquid hydrogen.
This fuel is then consumed in a fuel cell system, which produces the electricity needed for the flight. In addition, the aircraft has onboard batteries that are used during take-off and landing.
The batteries also help to ensure a steady stream of power, even if something happens to the hydrogen fuel cell system.
Bevirt commented further on this accomplishment:
“Traveling by air is central to human progress, but we need to find ways to make it cleaner. With our battery-electric air taxi set to fundamentally change the way we move around cities, we’re excited to now be building a technology stack that could redefine regional travel using hydrogen-electric aircraft.”
The company has a goal of launching a version of this vehicle to use as a commercially available taxi service in 2025.
In order to do this, however, they will need to complete additional tests and get approval from relevant safety and flight agencies both federally and in any state in which they want to operate.
After this test flight, it seems that flying cars are finally becoming a reality.
If you think that’s impressive, check out this story about a “goldmine” of lithium that was found in the U.S. that could completely change the EV battery game.