When taxis fly...
A California-based company is working to make that happen. But the secretive Joby Aviations isn't sharing when its five-seater all-electric passenger plane will move from prototype to viable air taxi. But it's moving to pre-production thanks to a new injection of cash announced Thursday from various investors including JetBlue's and Toyota's new venture arms.
SEE ALSO:Here's what Uber for the skies might feel likeThe $100 million in new funding could mean the electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft could soon be taking commuters to work above the traffic jams and train delays below. But realistically its short-haul flights won't be happening anytime soon.
The company is still working on the product -- the plane claims to have a 150-mile range on a single battery charge and a nearly silent flight experience along with a 100 times quieter take-off and landing -- and needs to get flight certified by the Federal Aviation Administration. So with its new money, Joby will be hiring engineers, battery experts, software developers, and flight control experts.
The race for take-off is on with future VTOL flights coming from Uber who is working with several companies including, Aurora Flight Sciences, Pipistrel Aircraft, Embraer, Mooney and Bell Helicopter, along with ChargePoint to make it happen by 2020. Making the vertical flights run on battery makes for a cleaner, quieter, and more sustainable ride.
Germany-based Lilium already is test-flying its two-seater electric jet and also has a five-seater VTOL plane prototype like Joby.
Airbus plans to start test rides by the end of the year on self-flying electric taxis and eventually set up a flying taxi service.
"When taxis fly" is looking less pie-in-the-sky. But no one's talking about how much it'll cost to take a flight to work just to avoid rush-hour traffic.
(责任编辑：知識)
Florida hurricane forecast remains uncertain, but trends in state's favor
Android 13 update begins rolling out on Google Pixel phones
'Deadstream' review: A 'canceled' prankster crashes a haunted house for likes
Wordle today: Here's the August 18 Wordle answer and hintsPlane makes emergency landing after engine rips apart during flightDid our grandparents have the best beauty advice?
Do our grandparents really know what's best?They're older and wiser, and they have no shortage of ad
...[详细]Use Facebook's Feeds to clean up your Facebook
Facebook has finally done it: Last week, the company introduced Feeds on mobile, giving users the op
...[详细]NASA astronauts show new way to take out space trash
Four astronauts on the International Space Station can create over 2.5 tons of trash per year, but h
...[详细]Jacob deserved a happier ending in 'Grace and Frankie'
Welcome toFix It, our series examining projects we love — save for one tiny change we wish we
...[详细]Fiji's men's rugby sevens team has made history by defeating Great Britain and claiming the country'
...[详细]Wordle today: Here's the August 18 Wordle answer and hints
Thursday is here, and with it a new Wordle. If you're a bit stuck, our daily Wordlehelp is here &mda
...[详细]Will there be an 'Eternals' sequel? Patton Oswalt seems to think so
Marvel didn't announce anything Eternals-related at this year's Comic-Con, but Patton Oswalt, the vo
...[详细]Harry Styles responded to the Chris Pine spitting thing. His quote is truly something.
If you've been anywhere near the internet over the past few days, you won't have been able to miss t
...[详细]Make money or go to Stanford? Katie Ledecky is left with an unfair choice.
This is Katie Ledecky's world right now, and the rest of us are just living in it. Want proof? Ledec
...[详细]Wordle today: Here's the August 30 Wordle answer and hints
*WOOP WOOP* That's the sound of a new Wordle! (Also the police.) But if the only sound your brain is
...[详细]Photos show the Blue Cut fire blazing a path of destruction in California
Wordle today: Here's the August 18 Wordle answer and hints