New York has announced plans to upgrade electric vehicle infrastructure, including air taxi charging stations. At least one company plans to take to the skies of Manhattan by 2025. On Monday, transportation startup JobyAviation conducted a demonstration flight of a six-propeller electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) in New York City. The display was part of a press conference held by New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

Joby's air taxis are not yet self-driving. Veteran pilot James "Buddy" Denham performed a demonstration flight. Denham is Joby's chief test pilot and is responsible for the onboard testing phase that began in early October. Prior to this, Joby had been conducting long-range test flights on the ground. The startup is currently in the third of five stages of FAA certification.Currently, there is no infrastructure at the Manhattan Heliport to support electric flight. However, Mayor Adams promised that the city is working to address the issue."Today, we are bringing sustainability to the skies and streets, where New Yorkers can feel the power of the sky in our city as our heliport infrastructure is electrified," said Adams. "Our vision for the Midtown Manhattan Heliport will create the world's first heliport with electric aircraft infrastructure and position this public asset as a hub for sustainable transportation and local delivery to serve New Yorkers."If all goes well, Joby plans to offer commercial flights to and from the Midtown Manhattan Heliport and JFK Airport by 2025. The entire trip takes approximately seven minutes, with a five-minute pause to recharge the eVTOL at the heliport.The company's plans, however, depend in part on whether city officials choose it as the official eVTOL provider. Rival air taxi startup Volocopter is also in the running to offer commercial flights in New York. The company has an 18-propeller two-seat fully autonomous eVTOL that has conducted more than 2,000 test flights. However, it's debatable whether the public and city officials are ready for autonomous aerial vehicles.For several years, Level 5 ground autonomous vehicles have struggled to gain the trust of the public and government. Unfortunately, every time an accident occurs, it seems to set the testing program back years.Whether the public is ready or not, Mayor Adams dreams of a New York skyline filled with autonomous eVTOLs, even eVTOLs driven by ordinary civilians."You know, within our lifetimes, a lot of people are going to have their own personal electric helicopters," Adams predicted. However, he also indirectly acknowledged that fear may be the biggest obstacle facing these dreams."I can't thank Andrew enough, the EDC and our wonderful deputy mayor for recognizing that we can't be afraid of the future," the mayor said. "This has to be a city that says 'yes' to the new, a city where we strive not only to achieve everything we do on the ground, but also to achieve everything we do in the sky."