Jobbi Aviation has chosen Dayton, Ohio as the new site for its first scaled electric aircraft factory, with the company set to invest up to $500 million in the new site as it plans to start selling air taxi rides as soon as 2025.
Today’s announcement ends months of speculation over the location of the site, which would create 2,000 jobs. TechCrunch was the first to report that the Ohio company was short-listed. According to today’s announcement, state and local economic programs agreed to provide $325 million in incentives and benefits to sweeten the deal.
“We plan to deliver 500 aircraft per year,” Joben Bevert said at a press conference today. “This is a scale of aircraft that is uncharacteristic of the biggest players in the world of aviation, and we are delighted to have our strategic partner and investor Toyota with us on this important journey.”
Toyota is Joby’s largest external shareholder. Joby also has a partnership with Delta Air Lines for airline customers who travel to and from the airport. Joby and Delta plan to launch service to New York and Los Angeles first.
The new site at Dayton International Airport will cover 140-acres for mass production of eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft, a significant expansion of Joby’s existing pilot production line in Marina, California. The company rolled its first aircraft off that production line earlier this year.
Construction of the facility is expected to begin next year, with production of the aircraft beginning in 2025. In the same year, Joby expects to give the green light for the company to start commercial operations.
Joby’s first plane will be capable of flying four passengers and one pilot at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour, for trips of up to 100 miles — all powered by electricity instead of jet fuel. The company’s business model is similar to that of a taxi service, which takes customers to dense urban areas or airports in short commutes.
The company is looking to start hiring immediately. Joby has set up a new website called JobyInOhio for people interested in learning more about working at the manufacturing facility of the future.