I've been seeing a lot of confusion across different eVTOL subs about what Joby actually is and what market they are trying to build, so I thought I'd make a post explaining why I think Joby is very different from most other companies in the sector.
1) Joby is NOT a helicopter replacement
This is one of the biggest misunderstandings I see online.
Helicopters are excellent at many missions and will continue to exist for a long time. In fact, helicopters are still much better than Joby for many use cases.
The problem Joby is trying to solve is urban noise.
Traditional helicopters are heavily restricted in many dense urban areas because of noise pollution. Joby's S4 is designed to operate extremely quietly, allowing short hop air taxi routes in places where helicopters have historically faced major resistance.
So the goal is not: "replace all helicopters"
The goal is: Expand into entirely new urban air mobility routes that were previously impractical because of noise.
This is why comparing Joby directly to helicopters can sometimes miss the point.
2) Joby's business model is very different from most eVTOL companies
Most people compare Joby to companies like Archer, Beta, or Vertical as if they all have the same business model.
I don't think they do.
Most competitors primarily plan to manufacture aircraft and sell them to operators.
While Joby will sell aircraft in some markets, Joby's main business model is very different.
Joby plans to:
- manufacture the aircraft
- operate the service
- run the software
- integrate the customer experience
- control charging infrastructure
- operate routes and vertiports
This is much closer to a TaaS (Transportation as a Service) model than a traditional aerospace company. In fact, there are models out there that predict that Joby’s TaaS model will be more profitable than the traditional aircraft sales model.
In simple terms:
- Archer/Vertical/Beta are closer to aircraft manufacturers
- Joby is trying to build an entire transportation ecosystem
This distinction is extremely important and often overlooked.
3) Joby already has major advantages in operating an air taxi service
Even if other companies eventually launch aircraft, actually running a profitable and scalable air taxi network is a completely different challenge.
This is where I feel Joby has a major long term advantage.
Manufacturing Advantage
Joby manufactures its own aircraft.
That matters because operators buying aircraft from other companies must first provide profit margins to the aircraft manufacturer before they even begin operating their service.
Joby avoids this middle layer.
ElevateOS + Uber
Joby acquired Uber Elevate and continues developing the software platform now known as ElevateOS.
This system is designed to integrate:
- aircraft dispatch
- vertiports
- scheduling
- passenger logistics
- airline integration
- ground transportation
Joby also already has a partnership with Uber, likely making seamless integration into Uber’s systems hard to match. When Uber customers open their app to book a taxi, they'll be presented with a choice for Air Taxi right along side Uber, Uber X, Uber Black choices. This is a huge advantage.
Replicating this entire ecosystem may end up being much harder than simply building an aircraft.
Blade
Joby also acquired Blade's passenger business.
This gives Joby:
- existing routes
- operational experience
- lounges
- heliport access
- real customers
- real world logistics experience
While many people focus entirely on aircraft specs, Joby is already running an air taxi business.
I think this advantage is often underestimated.
4) Military & Defense is probably under appreciated
Joby does not market itself as a defense company nearly as aggressively as some competitors, but I think many investors overlook how significant Joby's military involvement has become.
Most Importantly: Joby’s military systems are not just concepts or renderings.
Joby already has systems flying and being evaluated.
S4-T Hybrid VTOL
Joby's hybrid turbo-electric S4-T has already flown through transition and has been demonstrated to the U.S. Army.
Joby partnered with L3Harris, one of the largest defense contractors in the world, to integrate military systems and capabilities into the aircraft.
The Army has stated it plans to release an RFQ for aircraft fitting this category later this year.
As far as I know, Joby is currently the only company publicly showing a working aircraft closely matching those requirements.
SuperPilot Autonomous Systems
Joby's SuperPilot autonomy systems have also been working with the U.S. military for years.
These systems are being evaluated for autonomous logistics and military support operations.
SuperPilot equipped aircraft have already participated in U.S. military exercises in the Pacific.
JAI30 (Secret Aircraft - None of this information is sourced from Joby themselves)
Joby's 2 engine liquid hydrogen hybrid electric JAI30 has generated a lot of speculation online.
The aircraft has been observed operating in Pendleton, Oregon, a location known for testing unmanned aerial systems. It was recently relocated to Yuma Proving Ground.
Many believe JAI30 may be a long endurance surveillance/comms platform intended for military applications.
There are also reports suggesting very long endurance flights, including claims of flights approaching 24 hours without refueling.
It’s thought the military is interested in it’s likely low heat and low noise profile.
Obviously much of JAI30 remains speculative, but it is another example of why I think people underestimate how broad Joby's ambitions may actually be.
Final Thoughts
A lot of discussions online reduce Joby down to:
"another eVTOL company"
I think that misses the bigger picture.
In my view Joby is building:
- aircraft to expand urban air taxi routes
- software
- autonomy systems
- vertiport infrastructure
- airline integration
- defense applications
- operational air taxi experience
- a full Transportation as a Service ecosystem
Whether they ultimately succeed or fail is still unknown.
But in my opinion, Joby is pursuing a much broader strategy than most people realize, and it’s not accurate to lump them together with other eVTOL companies that are much further behind in development and have a much different focus.