Joby Aviation Doubles Air Taxi Factory Size As It Races To Launch Air Taxis

Yahoo

18-07-2025

Stuck in traffic again, daydreaming about flying over the mess? Joby Aviation just doubled down on making that fantasy slightly more realistic. The company expanded its Marina, California, facility to 435,500 square feet, enabling production of 24 electric vertical takeoff and landing eVTOL aircraft annually. That's roughly one flying taxi rolling off the line every other week, assuming everything goes according to plan.
This isn't just about bigger warehouses and more assembly lines. Joby's facility expansion represents the company's most aggressive push toward commercial air taxi service, with the Marina site handling everything from FAA certification processes to pilot training simulation. The expanded facility positions Joby to deliver on its 2025 U.S. launch timeline—a date that's been circled on calendars since the company first started making noise about urban air mobility, similar to Pivotal's progress in the personal air travel space.
Toyota's deep pockets are making this scaling possible, with engineers from the automotive giant embedded throughout the expansion process. The Japanese manufacturer closed a $250 million investment tranche (part of a $500 million total commitment), bringing decades of manufacturing expertise to aircraft production. This partnership extends beyond California, with Joby operating facilities in Santa Cruz, San Carlos, and a recently renovated Dayton, Ohio, location that could eventually pump out 500 aircraft yearly.
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The regulatory pieces are falling into place faster than expected. Joby's six-aircraft test fleet has logged over 40,000 miles, with the FAA approving the company's proprietary ElevateOS software suite, critical for commercial deployment. The company recently demonstrated simultaneous flight operations with multiple aircraft, proving their systems can handle the complexity of urban air traffic management.
While Joby leads the pack, competitors like Archer Aviation and Lilium are racing toward similar production milestones. Archer recently completed construction of its Georgia facility, targeting 15-24 aircraft in 2025, while Lilium has begun production of its first seven jets. The eVTOL market faces significant hurdles beyond manufacturing, from air traffic control integration to public acceptance of flying taxis overhead. Regulatory approval timelines remain uncertain, with the FAA taking a cautious approach to certifying aircraft that will carry passengers in urban environments.
Traditional automakers spent decades perfecting assembly lines for cars that stay on the ground. Joby's betting that the same manufacturing discipline, applied to aircraft that need to be exponentially more reliable than your Honda Civic, can create a viable air taxi business. The expanded facility represents the moment when eVTOL companies stop talking about the future and start building it, as seen in Joby Aviation's first piloted electric air taxi transition.
Ready to skip the freeway entirely? That depends on whether Joby's production timeline survives contact with reality—and whether your city's infrastructure can handle flying taxis landing in downtown areas.
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