Flying taxis are on the horizon as aviation soars into a new frontier

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — When he was still a boy making long, tedious trips between his school and his woodsy home in the mountains during the 1980s, JoeBen Bevirt began fantasizing about flying cars that could whisk him to his destination in a matter of minutes.

As CEO of Joby Aviation, Bevirt is getting closer to turning his boyhood flights of fancy into a dream come true as he and latter-day versions of the Wright Brothers launch a new class of electric-powered aircraft vying to become taxis in the sky.

The aircraft — known as "electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle, or eVTOL — lift off the ground like a helicopter before flying at speeds up to 200 miles per hour (322 kilometers per hour) with a range of about 100 miles (161 kilometers). And these craft do it without filling the air with excessive noise caused by fuel-powered helicopters and small airplanes.

“We are just a few steps from the finish line. We want to turn what are now one- and two-hour trips into five-minute trips,” Bevirt, 51, told The Associated Press before a Joby air taxi took off on a test flight in Marina, California — located about 40 miles south from where he grew up in the mountains.

Archer Aviation, a Silicon Valley a Silicon Valley company backed by automaker Stellantis and United Airlines, has been testing its own eTVOLs over farmland in Salinas, California, where a prototype called “Midnight” could be seen gliding above a tractor plowing fields last November.

The tests are part of the journey that Joby Aviation and other ambitious companies that collectively have raised billions of dollars are taking to turn flying cars into more than just pie-in-the-sky concepts popularized in 1960s-era cartoon series, “The Jetsons,” and the 1982 science fiction film, “Blade Runner.”

Archer Aviation and nearby Wisk Aero, with ties to aerospace giant Boeing Co. and Google co-founder Larry Page, are also at the forefront in the race to bring air taxis to market in the United States. Joby has already formed a partnership to connect its air taxis with Delta Air Lines passengers while Archer Aviation has lined up a deal to sell up to 200 of its aircraft to United Airlines.

Flying taxis have made enough regulatory inroads with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to result in the recent creation of a new aircraft category called “powered lift,” a step that the agency hadn't taken since helicopters were introduced for civilian use in the 1940s.

But there are more regulatory hurdles to be cleared before air taxis will be allowed to carry passengers in the U.S., making Dubai the most likely place where eVTOLs will take commercial flight — perhaps by the end of this year.

“It’s a tricky business to develop a whole new class of vehicles,” said Adam Lim, director of Alton Aviation Consultancy, a firm tracking the industry's evolution. “It is going to be like a crawl, walk, run situation. Right now, I think we are still crawling. We are not going to have the Jetsons-type reality where everyone will be flying around everywhere in the next two to three years.”

China is also vying to make flying cars a reality, a quest that has piqued President-elect Donald Trump's interest in making the vehicles a priority for his incoming administration during the next four years.

If the ambitions of eVTOL pioneers are realized in the U.S., people will be able to hop in an air taxi to get to and from airports serving New York and Los Angeles within the next few years.

Because its electric taxis can fly unimpeded at high speeds, Joby envisions transporting up to four Delta Air Lines passengers at a time from New York area airports to Manhattan in about 10 minutes or less. To start, air taxi prices almost certainly will be significantly more that the cost of taking a cab or Uber ride from JFK airport to Manhattan, but the difference could narrow over time because eVTOLs should be able to transport a higher volume of passengers than ground vehicles stuck in traffic going each way.

“You will see highways in the sky,” Archer Aviation CEO Adam Goldstein predicted during an interview at the company's San Jose, California, headquarters. “There will be hundreds, maybe thousands of these aircraft flying in these individual cities and it will truly change the way cities are being built.”

Investors are betting Goldstein is right, helping Archer raise an additional $430 million late last year from a group that included Stellantis and United Airlines. The infusion came shortly after a Japanese automaker poured another $500 million into Joby to bring its total investment in that company to nearly $900 million.

Those investments were part of the $13 billion that eTVOL companies have raised during the past five years, according to Alton Aviation.

Both Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation went public in 2021 through reverse mergers, opening up another fundraising avenue and making it easier to recruit engineers with the allure of stock options. Both companies have been able to attract workers away from electric automaker Tesla and rocket maker SpaceX and, in Archer's instance, raiding the ranks of Wisk Aero.

The Wisk defections triggered a lawsuit accusing Archer of intellectual property theft in a dispute that was resolved with a 2023 settlement that included an agreement for the two sides to collaborate on some facets of eTVOL technology.

Before going public, Joby also acquired eTVOL technology developed by ride-hailing service Uber in an $83 million deal that also brought those two companies together as partners.

But none of the deals or technological advances have stopped the losses from piling up at the companies building flying cars. Joby, whose roots date back to 2009 when Bevirt founded the company, has sustained $1.6 billion in losses since its inception while Archer has amassed nearly $1.5 billion in losses since its founding in 2018.

While they moved to commercial air taxi services, both Joby and Archer are trying to bring in revenue by negotiating contracts to use their eTVOLs in the U.S. military for deliveries and other other short-range missions. Archer has forged a partnership with Anduril Industries, a military defense technology specialist founded by Oculus headset inventor Palmer Luckey, to help it win deals.

The uncertain prospects have left both companies with relatively low market values by tech industry standards, with Joby's hovering around $7 billion and Archer's $6 billion.

But Bevirt sees blue skies ahead. “eVTOLs are going to transform the way we move,” he said. “It’s a dramatically better way to get around. Seeing the world from the air is better than being stuck in the traffic on the interstate.”

A phone displays a Joby Aviation mobile app that consumers could use to take a flight in an "electric vertical takeoff and landing" eVTOL aircraft. San Carlos, Calif. on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Terry Chea)

Archer Aviation CEO Adam Goldstein speaks at the company's headquarters in San Jose, Calif. on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Terry Chea)

Joby Aviation employees assemble parts for an "electric vertical takeoff and landing" eVTOL aircraft in Marina, Calif. on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Terry Chea)

An "electric vertical take-off and landing" aircraft built by Joby Aviation flies over an airfield in Marina, Calif. on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Terry Chea)

A Joby Aviation employees works on the assembly of an "electric vertical takeoff and landing" eVTOL aircraft in Marina, Calif. on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Terry Chea)

JoeBen Bevirt, CEO of Joby Aviation, stands next to an "electric vertical take-off and landing" aircraft, also known as an eVTOL, in Marina, Calif. on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Terry Chea)

An "electric vertical take-off and landing" aircraft built by Joby Aviation lands at an airfield in Marina, Calif. on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Terry Chea)

JoeBen Bevirt, CEO of Joby Aviation, stands next to an "electric vertical take-off and landing" aircraft, also known as an eVTOL, in Marina, Calif. on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Terry Chea)

An "electric vertical take-off and landing" aircraft built by Joby Aviation is parked at an airfield in Marina, Calif. on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Terry Chea)

TORONTO (AP) — Easton Lucas allowed one hit over five scoreless innings in his first major league start, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Washington Nationals 4-2 on Wednesday to complete a three-game sweep.

It was hardly baseball weather with snow falling outside Rogers Centre, which had the roof closed for the afternoon game.

Lucas (1-0) struck out three and walked two in a composed 74-pitch outing.

Filling in for the injured Max Scherzer, the 6-foot-4 left-hander was making his 15th appearance in the majors. The 28-year-old from California appeared in two games for the Jays last season. He made 12 other appearances in 2024, split between Oakland and Detroit.

RANGERS 1, REDS 0

CINCINNATI (AP) — Jack Leiter shut Cincinnati down for the second game in a row as Texas won to take the three-game series.

The Rangers were outscored 14-5 in the three games but still won the series.

Leiter (2-0) retired the first 11 Reds batters until Elly De La Cruz doubled. He left after the fifth inning with a blister on his pitching hand but still tied his career-high with six strikeouts.

PIRATES 4, RAYS 2

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Paul Skenes needed nearly three innings to warm up, then struck out six over seven innings and Pittsburgh beat Tampa Bay at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

Oneil Cruz hit his second home run of the season and drove in another to give Skenes, the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year, his first win of 2025.

The 22-year-old right-hander did not walk a batter and was on the mound when the Rays scored an unearned run in the sixth. Isaiah Kiner-Falefa’s throwing error on Jonn DeLuca’s ground ball allowed the Rays their only runner in scoring position against Skenes. He scored on Brandon Lowe’s groundout.

BREWERS 3, ROYALS 2 FINAL/11 INNINGS

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Brice Turang dropped a perfect bunt to score Oliver Dunn in the 11th inning and Milwaukee beat Kansas City.

Pinch-runner Dunn advanced from second base on Garett Mitchell’s groundout off Sam Long (0-2). Joey Ortiz walked. Turang, who was 0 for 5 for the game, laid down a bunt in front of the plate and raced to first as Dunn scored.

Jared Koenig (1-0) picked up the win with a scoreless 11th.

CARDINALS 12, ANGELS 5

STT. LOUIS (AP) — Iván Herrera hit three home runs to help St. Louis beat Los Angeles.

Herrera hit his third home run of the game, and of the season, off Sean Burke to cap a seven-run eighth inning for the Cardinals. Herrera hit a two-run homer in the sixth, and a solo shot in the fourth off Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi to give him his first career multi-home run game.

Willson Contreras drew a bases-loaded walk off Burke to break a 5-5 tie after Ian Anderson (0-1) allowed three straight hits to open the bottom of the eighth inning.

TWINS 6, WHITE SOX 1

CHICAGO (AP) — Harrison Bader and Byron Buxton hit home runs to back Pablo López’s solid start and Minnesota beat Chicago after rain delayed the start by nearly 3 1/2 hours.

Buxton, Carlos Correa and Ty France had two hits apiece for the Twins, who took the rubber match of the three-game series.

López (1-1) pitched seven innings, giving up four hits and one run with a walk and five strikeouts. Jhoan Duran and Danny Coulombe each threw a scoreless inning to complete the win.

CUBS 10, ATHLETICS 2

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Seiya Suzuki homered twice and drove in five runs as Chicago beat the Athletics to complete a three-game sweep.

Matt Shaw added two RBI singles for the Cubs, who outscored the A’s 35-9 in the first major league series played at Sutter Health Park, the club’s planned home for the next three years before a proposed relocation to Las Vegas.

Suzuki hit an early three-run homer for the second consecutive game when he connected in the second inning off Jeffrey Springs (1-1). Suzuki went deep again leading off the fourth before adding a late RBI single.

It was Suzuki’s fourth career multi-homer game. He has at least two hits in each of his last four games, with four home runs and 11 RBIs during that span.

Jacob Wilson had three of the A’s five hits and Brent Rooker hit a two-run homer against Jameson Taillon (1-1) as the hosts lost their fourth straight game. Taillon struck out seven over six innings.

PADRES 5, GUARDIANS 2

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Jackson Merrill hit a two-run homer a few hours after finalizing a $135 million, nine-year contract and San Diego started 7-0 for the first time in their 57-season history by beating Cleveland.

Fernando Tatis Jr. raced home on the back end of a double steal to start the scoring in the four-run third inning for the Padres, whose previous best start was 4-0 in 1984, when they went to their first World Series.

The Padres’ hot start includes sweeping playoff teams from last year. Before taking three from the Guardians, the Padres swept a four-game series against the Atlanta Braves in a rematch of their NL Division Series, which San Diego won in two games.

Merrill homered in his second straight game, driving the first pitch he saw from Ben Lively (0-1) onto the party deck atop the right field wall. He began his trot, tossed his bat and gestured with his right arm.

MARINERS 3, TIGERS 2

SEATTLE (AP) — Victor Robles hit a two-RBI double, Dylan Moore homered and Seattle beat Detroit and American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.

Luis Castillo (1-1) went seven innings, giving up two runs on five hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Gabe Spier pitched a 1-2-3 eighth and Andres Munoz survived a rocky ninth for his third save and prevent a Tigers’ sweep of the three-game series.

Robles’ second-inning drive to the left-center went over the glove of Ryan Kreidler to bring home Moore and J.P. Crawford. Moore hit his first homer of the season for a 3-0 lead in the fourth.

Skubal (0-2) left with two outs in the fifth after giving up six hits and three walks while striking out eight.

GIANTS 6, ASTROS 3

HOUSTON (AP) — Wilmer Flores homered again and Luis Matos and LaMonte Wade Jr. also went deep to lead San Francisco to a win over Houston to complete a three-game sweep.

It’s the fourth home run this season for Flores, who hit just four in 71 games last season. His four homers were tied with Aaron Judge, Kyle Tucker and Seiya Suzuki for second-most in the majors entering Wednesday night’s games.

Flores got things going with his two-run shot to the seats in left field off Framber Valdez (1-1) with one out in the first. Matos made it 3-0 with his shot to center field to start the second.

Heliot Ramos doubled with one out in the inning to extend his streak with an extra-base hit to six games to start the season, tying Felipe Alou (1963) for the longest such streak in franchise history. The double drove in two runs to push the lead to 5-0.

METS 6, MARLINS 5, 11 INNINGS

MIAMI (AP) — Pete Alonso launched a three-run homer that tied the score with two outs in the eighth inning and New York scored twice in the 11th to beat Miami.

Alonso also doubled twice and finished with four RBIs. All three of his hits came off the bat at 113 mph or more.

Juan Soto scored three times for the Mets, who used eight pitchers and took two of three in the series to finish 3-3 on their season-opening trip. They play their home opener Friday against Toronto.

RED SOX 3, ORIOLES 0

BALTIMORE (AP — Garrett Crochet pitched eight outstanding innings in his first start with his big new contract, and Boston blanked Baltimore.

Trevor Story homered for the Red Sox, and Kristian Campbell — who also got a sizeable new deal from the Red Sox — had two hits. And Rafael Devers finally broke through with his first two hits of the season, including an RBI double in the fifth.

Crochet, who agreed to a $170 million, six-year contract earlier this week, followed that up with the longest outing of his career. He allowed four hits and a walk with eight strikeouts.

Aroldis Chapman worked the ninth for his first save.

PHILLIES 5, ROCKIES 1

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Zack Wheeler struck out 10 in seven sharp innings and Trea Turner had three hits in his return to the starting lineup as Philadelphia defeated Colorado.

Wheeler (1-0) allowed just one run and three hits. He reached double digits in strikeouts for the 26th time in his career by striking out three batters in the seventh.

Turner, who missed two games last weekend with lower back spasms, entered as a pinch hitter late in Philadelphia’s home opener Monday against Colorado. Back in the leadoff spot Wednesday, he delivered an RBI single in the seventh.

Kyle Schwarber had a run-scoring double and scored on an RBI groundout by J.T. Realmuto. Schwarber has at least one hit in each of the Phillies’ five games this season.

DIAMONDBACKS 4, YANKEES 3

NEW YORK (AP) — Zac Gallen tied his career high with 13 strikeouts while extending his scoreless streak over New York to 18 2/3 innings, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a two-run homer in the first off Carlos Rodón that started Arizona to a win.

Gallen (1-1) rebounded from an opening day loss to the Chicago Cubs by allowing three hits with no walks. He got 10 strikeouts on his knuckle-curve and improved to 3-0 against the Yankees.

He also fanned 13 at the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sept. 22, 2022.

A.J. Puk allowed Anthony Volpe’s opposite-field three-run homer in the ninth, then retired Austin Wells on a foulout and struck out Jasson Domínguez for his second save in two nights.

DODGERS 6, BRAVES 5

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit a tiebreaking home run in the ninth inning on his bobblehead night, lifting unbeaten Los Angeles over winless Atlanta.

The Dodgers improved to 8-0, the best start ever by a defending World Series champion.

Max Muncy tied the game with a two-run double in the eighth off Atlanta reliever Raisel Iglesias (0-1) after the third baseman’s two errors led to five unearned runs for the Braves early.

Atlanta is 0-7 for the first time since opening 0-9 in 2016.

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr (27) slides safely into second base with a double ahead of a tag by Washington Nationals shortstop C.J. Abrams (5) in fifth inning MLB action in Toronto on Wednesday April 2, 2025. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)