Joby Aviation offers investors a way to gain exposure to the emerging electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) industry, Josh Brown, co-founder and CEO of Ritholtz Management, told CNBC on Tuesday. “Joby is my favorite out of the whole group, of all the companies working on eVTOLs,” Brown said on CNBC’s ” Halftime Report .” “We now have a very catalyst-rich second half ahead of us.” Brown’s endorsement come as the Trump administration prepares to implement an eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) next month. The initiative aims to accelerate the deployment of next-generation air vehicles such as eVTOLs in the U.S. — an outcome that could boost shares of Joby and competitors such as Archer Aviation , according to Brown. Under the program, private companies will work with state and local governments to develop regulatory frameworks for the emerging aviation technology. EVTOLs are electric-powered aircraft that land and take off vertically and would navigate dense, urban spaces more quietly and with less pollution than helicopters. First developed in the early 2000s, eVTOLs have still not achieved wide adoption in the U.S. for commercial purposes. But Joby made its first test flight from New York City earlier this week. Investing in the nascent sector through Joby could prove a smart play for those willing to wait to see potentially big returns, according to Brown “This has been a tough sector because it’s so early,” Brown said, calling Joby a long-shot investment. Joby shares have plunged 42% in the past six months, but more recently are 12% higher in the past month.
