Toyota Motor and Joby Aviation have accelerated their efforts to realise air mobility with a demonstration flight of the latter’s electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) at Toyota’s Higashi-Fuji Technical Center in Japan.
The event marked a significant milestone for the partnership, highlighting their shared vision for the future of air travel.
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The collaboration between the two companies has been ongoing for seven years, with Toyota investing $500m in Joby Aviation to support the final development stages of its eVTOL aircraft. This investment, made in two equal tranches, includes a strategic alliance on commercial manufacturing and builds on Toyota’s previous investment of $394m.
Joby founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt said: “This is a moment we have been looking forward to for a long time and marks a significant milestone on our journey towards making clean air travel an everyday reality.
“We share Toyota’s vision for the future of air travel and are honoured to have had the opportunity to present a glimpse of that future through our exhibition flight in Japan.”
Bevirt envisions a world where people can minimise their environmental impact and avoid traffic congestion and sees air mobility as a key factor in achieving this vision.
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By GlobalDataToyota Group chairman Akio Toyoda shares this ambition, aiming to extend the freedom of mobility to everyone.
The exhibition flight in Japan signifies the progress made through the synergy of Joby’s spirit and Toyota’s expertise in production processes and technology development.
Toyota Motor board member and executive vice-president Hiroki Nakajima said: “Air mobility has the potential to change our`sense of distance and time,’ and open a future with the new option of air mobility that will further enrich the lives of many people.
“Toyota is committed to deepening our collaboration with Joby and we will continue to work together to realise our shared dreams.”
An eVTOL combines elements from drones, helicopters and small aircraft and is designed for short-range, high-frequency operations.
