Joby Aviation recently broke ground on the planned expansion of its manufacturing facilities in Marina, California. (Photo: Business Wire)
SANTA CRUZ, Calif.—Joby Aviation, Inc., reported in April that it broke ground on the expansion of its pilot production line in Marina. The new facility is expected to begin operations in 2025 and will more than double Joby’s manufacturing footprint at the Marina Municipal Airport, the company said in a release.
Joby is a developer of electric air taxis for commercial passenger service. The company is currently developing an all-electric, vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) air taxi that it intends to operate as part of a fast, quiet, and convenient service in cities around the world.
During a ceremony held to celebrate the groundbreaking, Joby showcased its second production prototype aircraft, which recently rolled off the company’s pilot production line. The aircraft is expected to join Joby’s first production prototype aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base later this year. Two additional aircraft are in final assembly, according to the release.
The expanded facility is designed to support a target production rate of 25 aircraft per year and will also house a range of key operations facilities. These include an expanded pilot training and flight simulation center, as well as aircraft maintenance facilities that are designed to support the scaling of Joby’s commercial operations, the company said.
“This facility will play a foundational role in our future success and it is a privilege to once again be growing our footprint and our workforce in California,” said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby, in a statement. “I am grateful to the local community and our many supporters who have advocated on our behalf to reach this point, and to Toyota for everything they continue to do to make manufacturing a success at Joby.”
The expansion will be funded in part by the $9.8 million California Competes grant awarded to Joby by the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). The grant was awarded in November 2023 to support the company’s continued statewide expansion.
“Joby benefits all of our tri-county community,” said Marina Mayor Bruce Delgado, in the release. “We’re pleased to see Joby continue to invest in expanding its presence at Marina Municipal Airport, providing high-tech jobs in clean manufacturing that benefit the local community.”
The ceremony was attended by local and regional stakeholders representing the city of Marina, Monterey County, Monterey Bay DART (Drone, Automation, and Robotics Technology), Monterey Bay Economic Partnership, Mujeres en Acción, and numerous other organizations that continue to be instrumental to Joby’s success, including Toyota Motor Corporation, the release said.
“Joby’s continued success and growth in Monterey County shows the strength of well-executed public-private partnerships and that California continues to be a great place for companies to build the future,” said Monterey County Supervisor Wendy Root-Askew, in the release. “We’re thrilled to see Joby break ground on an expansion to their electric air taxi factory in Marina and we look forward to future opportunities to partner for the benefit of our local economy.”
In addition to Joby’s Marina expansion, Joby recently announced the acquisition of an existing facility at Dayton International Airport, as part of the company’s plans to develop scaled manufacturing facilities capable of producing up to 500 aircraft per year.
Joby’s electric air taxi is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph, offering high-speed mobility with a fraction of the noise produced by helicopters and zero operating emissions.