Joby Aviation has doubled the size and production capacity of its pilot manufacturing facility in Marina, California as it races to commercialize eVTOLs (electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles) by early next year.
The now-435,500 square-foot facility will be able to produce 24 aircraft per year and “nearly one” every other week once fully operational, according to Joby. The facility will also support federal certification, ground and flight testing, pilot training, and aircraft maintenance.
TechCrunch has asked when Joby expects to be producing vehicles at full capacity, as well as for updates on Joby’s first scaled facility Dayton, Ohio, which is still under construction and is designed to build up to 500 aircraft per year.
Joby has enlisted engineers from its strategic investor Toyota to help build both sites. Toyota closed the first $250 million tranche of a previously announced $500 million investment into Joby in May.
The news of Joby’s expanded pilot facility comes as the eVTOL company also adds a sixth aircraft to its fleet. Joby says the aircraft earned its airworthiness certification within a week of completion.
Joby went public through a SPAC merger in 2021. The company plans to launch commercially first in Dubai in early 2026, with a U.S. market to follow.
