Mobility race takes to the skies with Toyota's flying taxi tie-up

Developers reach across industry lines in bid to tap $1.5tn market

Joby Aviation provides a glimpse of what Toyota President Akio Toyoda was talking about in 2018 when he said his automaker would transform into a mobility company. © Getty Images

TOMOYOSHI OSHIKIRI and TAKASHI SUGIMOTO, Nikkei staff writers

January 17, 2020 07:35 JST

TOKYO -- In an auto sector already drawing on other industries in the push toward electrified and self-driving vehicles, Toyota Motor's investment in an air taxi startup underscores the next frontier in mobility shifting to the skies.

Japan's largest automaker said Thursday it injected $394 million into U.S. startup Joby Aviation, which is developing an electric flying taxi. Toyota will provide mass production technology and electrification know-how as they seek to commercialize the aircraft as soon as possible.