Is Joby Aviation Going To Revolutionize Rideshare?
To think of a time when ridesharing apps didn’t exist feels like a journey to another century. Such apps give us the kind of mobility we never had previously. If you don’t have a license, aren’t old enough to drive, or are too drunk to get home, worry not! Someone else will drive you.
Rideshare apps have come a long way since they began. They have expanded to include offerings such as two-wheelers, food delivery, and grocery options. You can even split rideshare costs with other people now and be more environmentally cautious with just your smartphone.
The Future of Rideshare
Whether or not you think rideshare is a bubble, it’s here to stay. And the inevitable next step has to be an air taxi, right? They may be the closest thing to flying cars that we will get.
Fortunately, that future of personalized flying automobiles is not far away. Plus, it gives us far more green points than the cars we take.
Uber created one such rideshare option for dense cities through airborne transportation. Uber Elevate is an initiative to create air taxis for ridesharing.
Think about a trip that takes 1-2 hours by road. You can cover it in 15 minutes without any traffic. You can fly in a straight line and get home after a long day of work a lot faster. With most cities being jam-packed with cars now, it’s undoubtedly a welcome solution.
In 2018, Uber announced its intention to launch this project in five different markets within half a decade. These were Australia, India, Brazil, France, and Japan. Its vision was that of a “safe, quiet, electric vehicle transporting tens of thousands of people.”
Is Reinventing Possible?
Joby Aviation, a California-based company, specializes in making electric aircraft. With its expertise, Joby aims to become a pioneer in the business of sustainable air taxis.
JoeBen Bevirt started the company over a decade ago and managed to forge tie-ups with many prominent names like Toyota and Uber. Since then, the company has spent over a decade perfecting this technology to work effectively on a small scale.
Joby has acquired Uber Elevate to make the air taxi dream a reality. Uber has also invested $75 million to boost the operations of Joby.
Baby Steps
Joby Aviation released its first footage of this new commercial plane in December 2020. The vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capabilities make the company worthy of discussion. It has a massive team of over 700 engineers working on getting the air taxi flying by 2024.
The air taxi services are like any other ride-sharing service. There are four passenger seats and one trained commercial pilot. The e-aircraft has five seats since the company's focus is on unit economics.
Joby’s services are set to be a part of the Uber app on a non-exclusive basis. It’s simple. You book an air taxi that picks you up and drops you at your desired location. The fact that it’s an electric plane reduces your carbon footprint.
The organization’s fact sheet suggests that an air taxi ride’s cost will match UberX, which is to say it is affordable and time-efficient. Who said you had to pick one or the other?
Joby’s aircraft fleet has received a ‘G1 certification’ from the Federal Aviation Administration. It means the flights adhere to environmental regulations and can take to the skies. The US Air Force has also given a thumbs up, making them the first e-VTOL firm to receive authorization.
From working with a small team of seven engineers in 2009 to creating a world-class manufacturing facility, Joby has come a long way. They have offices in Santa Cruz, San Carlos, Washington DC, and Munich.
After various prototypes and models over the years, they have achieved a design that explains its motto - reinventing is possible.
Can Joby’s Rideshare Business Be That Impactful?
Every achievement of humankind has been to make our lives easier. Simply put, Joby Aviation’s ideas are revolutionary. Its product solves multiple problems in a very efficient way economically, environmentally, and socially. It shows potential for radical progress in the way we travel.
Air taxis are five times faster than any land transport alternative, including subways. It will take a fraction of a subway’s cost to create infrastructure for an electric aircraft network.
You can add most of the infrastructure to existing buildings. It unlocks the third dimension to transportation that is replicable as well.
Not only that, but the world of electric transportation is also abuzz right now. They’re sustainable, easier to ride, and not harsh on human ears. The running and maintenance costs are low. With a large enough network of such vehicles, they will soon address the shortage of charging points too.
Joby’s services are all set to meet people’s demands in an urbanized world obsessed with sustainability. The company summed it up better than anyone else - Joby exists to save a billion people an hour a day. In a world where time is money, you could save a lot of money.
We will know if this revolutionary plan materializes or becomes another kind of a rideshare bubble in three years. Even established companies like Hyundai, Porsche, and Aston Martin are betting on the air taxis.
Life, a decade from now, may be wildly different than what we see today. We are not close to creating commercial flying cars, but we could be flying home from work soon. An exciting prospect indeed.
Just like Joby, a Japanese company seems to be making headway in the VTOL space. Find out what they are up to - here.
