Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation are emerging as the front-runners in the nascent electric air taxi market, each pushing eVTOL aircraft through the Federal Aviation Administration’s type certification process with commercial service targeted for late 2026 or 2027. Joby’s S4 — a five-seat, single-pilot eVTOL with six tilting propellers — holds an exclusive six-year agreement with the Dubai Road and Transport Authority to operate commercial air taxi routes and plans initial deployments in Dubai before expanding to other global markets using infrastructure from its Elevate and Blade Air Mobility acquisitions. "Electric air taxis have been promised for years," the reporting notes, underscoring that only a handful of the hundreds of startups in the space appear likely to deliver operational aircraft. Both Joby and Archer are in phase four of the FAA’s five-phase type certification process, but certification alone will not immediately translate into wide passenger service. Key facts and capabilities reported for the two leading designs include: Joby Aviation S4: five seats (four passengers + one pilot), six electric motors driving six tilting propellers, top speed ~173 knots, range up to 130 nautical miles (241 km), payload capacity 1,000 lbs (453 kg). Joby has partnered with Toyota for manufacturing, received a $60 million investment from Delta Air Lines in 2022, a $75 million investment from Uber , and acquired Uber’s Elevate division as well as Blade Air Mobility’s passenger transportation business. Archer Aviation Midnight: five seats (four passengers + one pilot), 12 electric motors (six for VTOL, six for forward flight), top speed ~130 knots, range ~87 nautical miles (161 km), similar payload capacity to Joby. Archer counts United Airlines among its backers (orders up to 200 aircraft), manufacturing support from Stellantis, and private terminal support from Jetex. Archer advertises the Midnight can be recharged in as little as ten minutes. The two companies diverg…