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Toyota has just pumped $394 million worth of investment into Joby Aviation, a company working on electrical flying taxi shuttle services.
Itโs safe to say that 2020 probably doesnโt look as cool or futuristic as twentieth century writers and film makers predicted. We arenโt all living in space just yet, neither do we have flying vehicles tearing up the skies on floating motorways. The world doesnโt yet resemble any scene fromย Back To The Futureย which, all things considered, is a huge disappointment.
Toyota are looking to make my daydreams a reality though as it just invested $394 million into Joby Aviation, a 400 people sized start-up located in California whoโs working on a commercially viable flying taxi prototype. Why? Because weย needย it, people.
Joby unveiled its latest prototype alongside the investment news and it doesnโt look how youโd expect it to. There are no yellow taxi signs or wings involved, unfortunately, and the build resembles a giant drone or helicopter more than it does a traditional car. Itโs still mighty impressive all the same, though Joby hasnโt confirmed whether or not Toyota has tested its capabilities yet.
Several other companies are taking on small-scale aviation alongside Joby. Airbus SE, Hyundai, and Kitty Hawk are all currently undergoing similar projects, meaning easy, quick air travel could very well become a reality in the next few years. If you live in New York you can already try out anย on demand air taxi with Uber, who launched its premium helicopter service in October 2019. Itโs not cheap, costing $200 for an 8 minute journey, but it is a good example of how our transportation needs and services could evolve in the years to come.
Toyotaโs also been investing in various transport innovations alongside flying taxi services recently. Last year it dished out cash to May Mobility, a small company who develop and operate self-driving shuttle buses, and announced it was developing a dedicated space at Mount Fuji called โWoven Cityโ which will be used to showcase self-driving cars. Expect plenty of over-the-top promotional shots of automated vehicles amongst scenic backdrops in the coming years.
