Joby Aviation Inc. (NYSE:JOBY) has revealed it has begun testing the production version of its upcoming air taxi amid a partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).



<h2>Production Version Of Air Taxi Revealed</h2>



In an official statement on Wednesday, the company revealed that the air taxi has begun its flight testing for the first FAA-conforming aircraft for Type Inspection Authorization (TIA), which is a major step towards type certification.



&#34;Seeing this aircraft fly means everything to our team. It's the validation of years of hard work and marks our entry into the final phase of bringing this aircraft to market,&#34; Joby's President of Aircraft OEM, Didier Papadopoulos, said in the statement.



In the statement, the company also shared that it plans to deliver over 500 aircraft per year following the acquisition of a new 700,000 square-foot facility in Dayton, Ohio, to support plans of expanding production to 4 aircraft per month.



<h2>Joby Vs Archer Aviation Lawsuits</h2>



The news comes as Joby was hit by a countersuit filed by Archer Aviation Inc. (NYSE:ACHR), which accused Joby of hiding its ties to China as a means to “evade U.S. tariffs and foreign-influence ⁠oversight.”



An attorney representing Archer said that the company had filed the suit to &#34;ensure accountability, restore fair competition, and safeguard the strategic future of American advanced aviation.&#34;



Joby, on the other hand, had filed a theft of trade secrets lawsuit against Archer last November. &#34;Archer’s ludicrous and defamatory claims are nothing more than an irresponsible attempt to distract from Joby’s trade secret theft lawsuit proceeding against Archer,&#34; an attorney for Joby responded to Benzinga.



<h2>Joby's FAA Partnership</h2>



Joby also announced it was partnering with the FAA and participating in the eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP). The program would enable the company to begin operations in 2026 in 10 states across the U.S.



Interestingly, Cathie Wood-led investment firm ARK Invest bought over 27,759 shares of the company via ARK’s Autonomous Technology and Robotics ETF (BATS:ARKQ) and the Space and Defense Innovation ETF (BATS:ARKX). The investment has totaled ARK’s stake in Joby to over $51 million.



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According to Benzinga Edge Rankings, Joby scores well on the Momentum metric.



Price Action: JOBY was down 0.78% to $10.15 during premarket trading on Thursday.



Check out more of Benzinga's Future Of Mobility coverage by following this link.



Photo courtesy: T. Schneider via Shutterstock

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Joby Aviation Inc. has begun testing its production version of an air taxi in partnership with the FAA, aiming for a 2026 launch. The company plans to produce over 500 aircraft annually from a new facility in Ohio. Joby faces a countersuit from Archer Aviation, which accuses it of concealing ties to China. Joby has also partnered with the FAA for the eVTOL Integration Pilot Program, with ARK Invest increasing its stake in the company to over $51 million. JOBY shares were down 0.78% to $10.15 in premarket trading.

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Joby Aviation Begins Testing Air Taxi As It Targets 2026 Launch: 'Final Phase Of Bringing This...'