An electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft from Joby Aviation, Toyota's air mobility partner, has taken its first flight in Japan. This success was built upon deep trust between the companies' leaders.
Sharing dreams at first meeting
The pair first met in February 2019. Although the Toyota-Joby relationship began in 2017 with an investment by Toyota AI Ventures*, from here, the connection deepened further.
*Venture capital fund based in Silicon Valley. A subsidiary of the Toyota Research Institute (TRI), which conducts R&D in areas such as artificial intelligence, automated driving, and robotics in the U.S.At the November 2 event, CEO Bevirt recalled that initial meeting.
“The first time I met Akio-san, I told him about my dream. Then Akio-san shared the dream of air mobility that the Toyoda family has held onto for 100 years. He told me he dreamed of the day that this revolutionary mobility became part of everyday life.”
On that occasion, then-President Toyoda expressed his belief that air mobility would arrive before the era of fully automated driving, seeing this as a step in Toyota’s transformation into a mobility company. After seeing a test flight video, he was eager for a chance to try the aircraft for himself. “I can’t wait to go for a ride.”
About a year later in January 2020, Toyota announced that it would work with Joby on eVTOL development and production, investing $394 million* with a view to entering the air mobility sector in the future.
*This October, Toyota announced a further investment of $500 million, bringing the total to $894 million.A news release accompanying the collaboration featured the following comment from then-President Toyoda: “Air transportation has been a long-term goal for Toyota. As we take up the challenge, we tap the potential to revolutionize future transportation and life. Through this new and exciting endeavor, we hope to deliver freedom of movement and enjoyment to customers everywhere, on land, and now, in the sky.”
Since then, the two leaders have continued their dialogue while visiting each other’s countries. In April 2022, in the wake of the pandemic, Akio shared his hopes for Joby’s technology:
“Since the outbreak of COVID, I’ve found myself traveling to various places by a combination of helicopter, car, and bullet train. Whenever I do, I can’t help but think what a difference Joby aircraft would bring to my life.”
“If we can make such combined travel more seamless, that would be a complete game changer.”
CEO Bevirt was also keen to see the relationship flourish. “The Toyoda family has been looking to the skies for many years, since decades before I was born,” he said. “I admire their keen vision. Now is the time for us to create that reality together as equal partners.”