North Carolina vs. Ohio: The Race for Joby Aviation's Next EVTOL Manufacturing Facility
North Carolina is steadily becoming a hub for major manufacturing, as illustrated by Toyota's whopping $5.9 billion investment in a new electric vehicle battery factory. Aiming to establish itself as an advanced aviation paradise, the state, back in 2020, rolled out the red carpet for the Chinese company EHang. EHang wowed spectators with the demonstration of its groundbreaking autonomous eVTOL air taxi, highlighting North Carolina's warm embrace of futuristic air mobility.
However, when it comes to Joby Aviation, North Carolina isn't the state that comes to mind. Instead, Ohio shines through. With Joby having a robust footprint in Ohio, including a registered presence and an electric aircraft technology simulator in the Dayton-Springfield area, the ties run deep. Not to mention, a location in Ohio strategically positions Joby near the Air Force's renowned Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Their bond with the USAF is only getting stronger, emphasized by a recent $55 million hike in a contract to deliver electric aircraft to the Air Force.
Ohio isn't just banking on these ties, though. The state has reportedly tabled an alluring incentive package, believed to be around $110 million, to woo Joby further.
Joby and Delta are looking to roll out the service in New York and Los Angeles first. Source
Joby, based in a 120,000-square-foot “prototyping” facility in Marina, California, produces and tests aircraft prototypes. With the Marina facility, Joby optimized large scale manufacturing. Now eager to expand, they're planning a 580,000-square-foot factory that can produce hundreds of aircraft per year.
A 580,000-square-foot modern aircraft manufacturing facility would employ 2-3,000 persons.
In the contest between North Carolina and Ohio, where will Joby's next chapter unfold? Only time will tell, but one thing's for sure – the sky's the limit for Joby Aviation!