Air taxi vendor Joby and automotive OEM Toyota Motor Corp. have successfully completed Joby’s first international exhibition flight in Shizuoka, Japan.
The flight, which took place at Toyota’s Higashi-Fuji Technical Center in Shizuoka, was the culmination of the two companies’ collaboration for the past 7 years.
Toyota has supported Joby with its insights into manufacturing and technology while working with Joby in California to develop prototype aircraft. Last year, both companies signed an agreement where Toyota would provide Joby with powertrain and actuation components for its air taxis.
Just last month, Toyota invested a further $500 million in Joby bringing its total investment to $894 million in the company.
The air taxi prototype that was tested in Shizuoka, Japan from Joby and Toyota. Source: Joby
Expo 2025
Japan is looking to electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for its World Expo 2025 being held in Osaka, Japan next year.
The country will use five or six air taxi vendors and will be one of the main attractions at the Expo. The air taxis, capable of carrying two to five people each, will have eight air taxi routes connecting eight different destinations in Japan and serving as a transportation method to ferry passengers to the event.
The companies that will demonstrate at the 2025 World Expo include:
- Ana Holdings, which is partnering with Joby Aviation
- JAL, which is partnering with Volocopter
- SkyDrive
- Marubeni, which is partnering with Vertical Aerospace
- Orix Corp.
Demonstration flights will start about 184 days prior to the event. The World Expo 2025 will last from April 13 through Oct. 13 under the theme "Designing Future Society for Our Lives."
Toward commercialization
Joby has been accelerating its plans to commercialize its air taxis with the acquisition of autonomous technology from Xwing in June to enhance its own portfolio and work toward autonomous flights in the future.
The company also acquired a manufacturing facility in March in Dayton, Ohio, that will be used to manufacture aircraft parts to support its pilot production facility in Marina, California.
Since 2023, Joby has been tested its prototype eVTOL after receiving U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval to begin testing the aircraft.
