Toyota and Joby create a joint venture to back certification and production of electric air taxis

Toyota said it has formed a joint venture with Joby Aviation to support development milestones for Joby’s electric air taxi aircraft, according to reporting that describes the effort as part of an existing strategic alliance. The arrangement is intended to address two of the biggest near-term hurdles for eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft: certification and the ability to produce aircraft commercially at scale.

The joint venture comes as the industry waits for regulators to determine whether eVTOL aircraft can operate safely in commercial service. In the case of Joby, the company has been pursuing certification for its S4 aircraft, an electric, piloted eVTOL platform designed to carry passengers on short trips. Toyota’s role in the venture is framed around enabling the steps needed to reach certification status and then prepare for commercial production.

Reporting indicates the new entity is tied to the companies’ broader strategic alliance that has been under development since 2024. While Toyota and Joby have previously discussed cooperation around eVTOL commercialization, the formation of a specific joint venture suggests the partners want a dedicated structure for coordinating the work that leads from regulatory approval to manufacturing readiness.

Joby’s path is widely viewed by the market as a test of whether eVTOL businesses can transition from prototype to repeatable production while meeting aviation standards. Certification is not just a technical gate, it also affects the long-run supply chain, maintenance planning, and how aircraft can be deployed across operating regions. Commercial production adds additional complexity, because it requires manufacturing processes that can be audited, replicated, and scaled.

Toyota, as an established automotive manufacturer, brings a different skill set to aviation projects than start-ups typically can assemble on their own. In similar mobility partnerships, carmakers tend to contribute manufacturing expertise, systems integration, and industrial planning, while aviation developers focus on aircraft design, flight testing, and regulatory engagement. The reported venture structure points to Toyota seeking to be positioned for the manufacturing side of Joby’s commercialization effort.

What has not been detailed in the reporting is the ownership split in the joint venture, its leadership, and the specific scope of work in areas such as components, battery-related supply, powertrain integration, assembly, or quality certification processes. The post also does not provide timelines for when certification or production milestones are expected, beyond framing the venture as support for those outcomes.

Investors and industry observers will likely focus next on whether the partners disclose clearer manufacturing commitments, such as factory plans, procurement sourcing, or deliverables that would indicate progress toward series production. For Toyota and Joby, the most important question is whether the joint venture can translate into measurable progress on certification steps and manufacturing scale as the eVTOL category moves from development into commercial operations.