Toyota’s first air taxi soars in Japan, all-electric 5-seater with 200 mph speed

Toyota Motor Corporation has collaborated with Joby Aviation, a U.S. company focused on creating electric air taxis for commercial passenger transport, to successfully carry out Joby's inaugural international exhibition flight.

This milestone marks a significant step forward in developing advanced air mobility solutions.

This event took place earlier this week at Toyota's Higashi-Fuji Technical Center in Shizuoka, Japan.

The flight near Mount Fuji showcased Joby's emissions-free aircraft's low noise levels and marked nearly seven years of collaboration between the two companies.

During this period, Toyota has aided Joby by offering insights from its vast automotive manufacturing and technology expertise.

Toyota's first air taxi

Toyota engineers now work side-by-side with the Joby team in California.

In 2023, the two companies signed a long-term agreement for Toyota to supply key powertrain and actuation components for producing Joby's aircraft.

"Our first overseas flight marks a significant milestone on our journey towards making clean air travel an everyday reality," said JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby.

"We share Toyota's vision for the future of mobility and are honored to have had the opportunity to present a glimpse of that future through our flight in Japan."

A wide range of stakeholders gathered at the test facility for an event to celebrate the exhibition flight and historic milestone, including Akio Toyoda, Chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation, and representatives of Japan's Civil Aviation Bureau.

At the event, Hiroki Nakajima, executive vice president and chief technology officer of Toyota Motor Corporation, 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 realize our shared dreams," he continued.

Joby's electric air taxi is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers at up to 200 mph speeds.

It offers high-speed mobility with zero operating emissions and a fraction of the noise of helicopters.

This new mobility service aims to reduce traffic congestion, minimize environmental impact, and provide transportation solutions for urban and rural regions.

It demonstrates the potential to address various transportation challenges in Japan and worldwide.

Joby was founded in 2009 and has since completed thousands of test flights, including exhibition flights from the iconic Downtown Manhattan Heliport in New York City.

This news comes weeks after Toyota committed to investing an additional $500 million in Joby to support the certification and commercial production of the Company's electric air taxi.

The additional funds will bring Toyota Motor Corporation's total investment in Joby to $894 million and include plans to establish a manufacturing alliance to support the first commercialization phase.

The investment will be made in two equal tranches and is contingent upon obtaining standard regulatory approvals and meeting specific conditions.

This includes the finalization of collaborative and commercial agreements.

Additionally, certain conditions must be finalized for the second tranche, including the terms of a strategic alliance focused on commercial manufacturing.