Intel leads $100 million in new funding for Joby's tilt-rotor flying taxi

If the possibility of engine failure is doubled in a twin, what are
the chances with 12 engines? :-)

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https://newatlas.com/joby-aviation-funding/53232/
Intel leads $100 million in new funding for Joby's tilt-rotor flying
taxi

Joby hopes to cut down on traffic and pollution in urban centers, and
offer city folk a faster, cleaner and safer way to travel by way of an
electric electric tilt-rotor aircraft
View gallery - 7 images

A whole lot of money is being pumped into air taxi concepts, with the
likes of Boeing, Airbus and NASA all investing heavily in these types
of vehicles. The latest company to find themselves on the receiving
end is Joby Aviation, with US$100 million in fresh funding to forge
ahead with its all-electric aircraft.

Render of Joby's 16-rotor in action
Joby hopes to cut down on traffic and pollution in urban centers,
and offer city folk...
We first learned of Joby's 16-rotor convertible aircraft in 2015
Render of Joby's 16-rotor in action

We first learned of Joby's multirotor convertible aircraft in 2015,
and have visited the company's compound since to see it under
construction. This thing is no joke. It uses a sophisticated,
custom-designed tilt system that points the rotors upward for vertical
takeoff and landing, but rotates them forward for low-energy forward
flight as a winged aircraft.

The convenience of VTOL, with the huge hourly flight cost reduction of
electric powertrains, plus the range advantages of a fixed wing; it's
a compelling concept. Our own Loz Blain dropped by Joby's
headquarters, and although the design has evolved significantly since
these images first came out, he left with the firm belief that this
vehicle is absolutely happening.

Appearing to share that belief are a host of new investors, led by
Intel and including Toyota, who have handed Joby US$100 million in
Series B funding to continue development of its aircraft, which it now
says has been flight-tested. Just like other air taxi concepts, such
as the Intel-backed Volocopter, Passenger Drone, Vahana and eHang,
Joby hopes to cut down on traffic and pollution in urban centers, and
offer city folk a faster, cleaner and safer way to travel.
We first learned of Joby's 16-rotor convertible aircraft in 2015

It says its five-seater aircraft will fly more than 150 mi (240 km) on
each charge, travel faster than existing rotorcraft and be 100 times
quieter than conventional aircraft during takeoff and landing. The
upfront cost will be higher than a typical combustion plane or
helicopter, but Joby reckons this will be recouped over time, because
its aircraft can cover the same distance at one twentieth the cost in
terms of energy.

Joby says for now it is solely focused on the development of the
vehicle across three key areas: equipping it with unparalleled safety
through redundant systems, minimizing the noise and optimizing the
range and speed.

"Intel believes the future of transportation is data-driven – whether
you're talking about autonomous cars or next-generation air travel,"
said Wendell Brooks, president, Intel Capital. "Joby Aviation has been
laser-focused on delivering a unique vehicle into the market. This is
a truly disruptive technology with the potential to push the
geographic boundaries of where people can live and work."

Source: Joby Aviation
https://jobyaviation.wordpress.com/2...ies-b-funding/