Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft developer Joby Aviation is forming a joint venture with Toyota Motor Corp. to manufacture the company’s S4 eVTOL. Their venture’s initial goal will be to launch commercial production and establish “advancing manufacturing excellence, with particular emphasis on further improving productivity, quality, and cost,” but will also work to expand production capacity, to support aircraft certification and meet anticipated demand growth.

Joby has already begun manufacturing of its S4 eVTOL with carbon-composite airframes being produced at a plant in Santa Cruz, Calif., and aircraft electric powertrains and electrical components being produced in San Carlos, Calif. Propeller blades are manufactured at a plant in Dayton, Ohio.

The new venture, Joby Toyota Aero Manufacturing Co., has a capitalization of $2 million, with Toyota holding 51% and Joby taking the remainder.

eVTOLs, sometimes called urban air taxis, are electric-powered aircraft able to hover, take-off, and land vertically. Joby is among the most prominent businesses moving toward commercialization of the vehicles, which also includes Archer Aviation (backed by Stellantis) and Eve Air Mobility, an Embraer holding.

Joby late last year committed to accelerate its output to four eVTOLs per month.

Toyota has committed an estimated $894 million in Joby Aviation since 2020. Those investments have mainly involved equity stakes, such that Toyota is one of the largest shareholders in Joby Aviation. But Toyota has also provided engineering and manufacturing expertise to the business, including helping the Joby engineers to develop tooling and production systems, and implement quality control routines.

"Toyota has been by Joby's side for nearly a decade, providing invaluable guidance and support as we built the foundation for manufacturing our aircraft," stated Joby Aviation founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt. "Together, we share a vision of making aerial mobility an everyday reality, and we look forward to delivering on that promise together."