The future of air mobility is taking off: Joby Aviation and Toyota team up to produce electric air taxis

The race to bring air taxis from futuristic concept to everyday reality is gaining serious momentum. Joby Aviation, based in Santa Cruz, California, has announced a major joint venture with Toyota to move toward commercial production of its electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, known as eVTOLs.

The goal is clear: produce electric aircraft at scale that can carry passengers through the sky like taxis. The partnership will focus on improving productivity, quality and production costs, helping Joby accelerate the arrival of this new form of transportation.

Toyota has been part of Joby’s story for years. The companies were first linked in 2020, when Toyota made a nearly $400 million investment in Joby. Since then, Toyota has increased its backing to about $900 million, making it one of Joby’s most important strategic partners.

Joby’s all-electric aircraft are designed to carry four passengers and one pilot, travel at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour, and use six tilting propellers that allow the vehicle to take off vertically like a helicopter before transitioning into forward flight like an airplane.

The company already has plans to begin service in the United Arab Emirates through a partnership with Uber, bringing on-demand air taxi rides to the region. In the United States, Joby hopes to expand once it completes the final stages of Federal Aviation Administration testing and certification.

Before receiving full FAA certification, Joby is aiming to launch early flight operations in several states, including New York, Texas and Arizona, as part of a White House-backed program. Flights in California, however, are not expected to begin until after full certification is obtained.

But the path to the skies is not free of turbulence. Joby is locked in a fierce rivalry with Archer Aviation, another Northern California company developing air taxis. The two firms have been involved in legal battles, including allegations of corporate espionage and disputes tied to investigations over alleged China-related connections.

Even with those challenges, Joby and Toyota say they share the same vision: making urban air mobility an everyday reality. For company leaders, this joint venture represents a major step toward a future where people may be able to cross busy cities quickly, quietly and electrically — above the traffic.

In short: what once sounded like science fiction — ordering a flying taxi to move across a city — is getting closer to becoming real life.

The future may not be stuck in traffic. It may be flying right above us.