Electric air taxi startup Joby Aviation is developing a hydrogen-powered version of its vertical takeoff and landing aircraft that could enable longer routes between cities.

Why it matters: Hydrogen fuel cells — already used in cars, trucks and industrial equipment — could be a game-changer for the aviation industry, which is under intense pressure to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.

Driving the news: Joby successfully flew a 523-mile demonstration flight using a first-of-its-kind hydrogen-electric air taxi, it said today.

• The test flight, completed last month in California, involved a converted prototype of Joby's electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft already in development.
• It was outfitted with a liquid hydrogen fuel cell and hydrogen-electric propulsion.
• A trail of water vapor, seen in the photo above, is the only emission.

How it works: Hydrogen-powered aircraft can burn liquid hydrogen directly in an engine, or they can use gaseous hydrogen in a fuel cell system.

• With fuel cells, the hydrogen spurs an electrochemical reaction that produces electricity to charge the aircraft's batteries while in flight.
• That electricity drives the electric motor and spins the propellers, with water as the only byproduct.

Zoom in: Joby's primary focus remains launching an electric air taxi as early as 2025 for short hops between urban centers and airports, starting in New York, Los Angeles and Dubai.

• But repurposing its existing eVTOL design for the hydrogen demonstration flight is an efficient way for Joby to begin exploring the potential for longer routes.
• "The vast majority of the design, testing and certification work we've completed on our battery-electric aircraft carries over to commercializing hydrogen-electric flight," founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt tells Axios.

Between the lines: Because Joby is building a vertically integrated operation, different aircraft will be able to use the same vertiport facilities, operations personnel and booking software.

• The Pentagon — Joby's largest customer — is also keen on hydrogen because it supports the military's clean energy goals, Jacob Wilson, acting branch chief of the U.S. Air Force's AFWERX Agility Prime advanced technology program, said in a statement.

Catch up quick: Joby has been working on hydrogen flight since 2021, when it acquired H2Fly, a German company that last year completed the world's first piloted flight of a liquid hydrogen-powered electric aircraft.

The big picture: Decarbonizing aviation is a monumental challenge, which is why the industry is exploring a range of solutions — including more efficient planes and engines and increased use of sustainable aviation fuels.

• There's a potential sweet spot for hydrogen on short-haul flights of several hundred miles or so — especially for VTOLs, which don't need a runway.
• Passengers could fly from the heart of San Francisco to San Diego or Boston to Baltimore, for example, without having to go to the airport.
• Hydrogen also allows for quicker refueling compared to battery-electric technology.
• To meet climate targets, however, hydrogen must be produced from renewable sources.

State of play: American Airlines recently agreed to buy 100 hydrogen-electric engines from ZeroAvia, a fuel cell aviation startup, to power its regional jets.

• Massachusetts-based Alaka'i Technologies is developing a hydrogen-powered VTOL that would compete with Joby, Archer Aviation and other eVTOL companies.

Reality check: Another hydrogen aircraft startup, Universal Hydrogen, is shutting down amid financial struggles.

What we're watching: Congress recently passed a bipartisan bill that directs the Federal Aviation Administration to research and develop strategies for using hydrogen fuel within the next year.

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The Biden administration is giving automakers and suppliers nearly $2 billion to save at-risk or shuttered plants — if they convert them to serve the electric vehicle market.

Why it matters: The money, which comes via the 2022 climate law, is among the White House's most direct attempts to fuse manufacturing and climate policies.

• And it can't be untethered from politics — some of the 11 facilities are in swing states, including Pennsylvania and Michigan.

Driving the news: Energy Department officials today unveiled preliminary decisions to provide a combined $1.7 billion to help with EV conversions and retooling projects across eight states for making EVs and related components.

• Recipients include GM, Stellantis, Volvo and Harley-Davidson, plus suppliers like American Auto Parts.

By the numbers: Officials say the plan would enable production of over 1 million "electrified" light-duty vehicles and over 40,000 electrified trucks and buses annually.

What's next: The selections are subject to more negotiations, and funding would arrive in tranches when various milestones are met.

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Vermont (25.6%), Iowa (23.9%) and Maryland (23.4%) have the highest share of 65-and-up adults in the workforce, according to preliminary 2023 census data.

Why it matters: The 2024 presidential campaign between Joe Biden and Donald Trump is sparking a fresh conversation about age, ability and mental acuity.

The big picture: It's not uncommon these days for older Americans to stay in the workforce, particularly in states with older populations.

• Nationally, 18.7% of adults 65 or over are still working.
• Today's older workers are better educated, working more hours, and more likely to be receiving employer benefits, compared to past decades, per a 2023 Pew Research Center report.

Between the lines: Fewer older Americans are working now compared to during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Axios' Emily Peck reports.

Yes, but: The share of older adults in the workforce has been generally rising since the late '80s, Emily writes.

• That's in part because of changes to Social Security and retirement plans, and in part because medical advances are extending Americans' lives and their time in the workforce.

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Taylor Swift fans can belt out her tunes together during sing-along train rides to her three Miami concerts this October.

Driving the news: Tickets are now on sale for Brightline's "Sing-Along Train to The Big Concert," with two such trips departing Orlando on each day of Swift's Miami shows on Oct. 18, 19 and 20.

• The privately owned high-speed rail company is partnering with iHeartRadio for the Swift-themed rides, which will feature music, specialty cocktails, food and more.
• One-way rides start at $209.

What they're saying: "This is more than a ride — it's a first-of-its-kind immersive experience," Travis Christ, Brightline's chief commercial officer, said in a statement.

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