01:02US-based company Joby Aviation and Japanese automotive giant Toyota conducted a test flight of Japan's first electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, also dubbed a ‘flying taxi’.
Footage published on Tuesday shows the electric aircraft vertically taking off from Toyota’s Higashi-Fuji Technical Center in Shizuoka and conducting a test flight in the area.
Toyota, Joby's largest investor, expects significant benefits from the new project. According to the authors of the project, it has good prospects in Japan's mountainous terrain with many islands. For example, a half-hour aerotaxi flight over Japan would replace a two-hour car journey or an even more complicated journey by boat or ferry.
Toyota announced last month that it would invest $500 million in the air taxi venture, adding to the $394 million already invested.
Company executives said Joby aims to start commercial passenger transport as early as next year. It is already in talks to partner with Uber, Delta Air Lines and ANA. Joby has also already applied for certification with the national civil aviation regulator, Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) according to media reports.
No worries about traffic jams! First electric 'air taxi' test flight conducted in Japan
US-based company Joby Aviation and Japanese automotive giant Toyota conducted a test flight of Japan's first electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, also dubbed a ‘flying taxi’.
Footage published on Tuesday shows the electric aircraft vertically taking off from Toyota’s Higashi-Fuji Technical Center in Shizuoka and conducting a test flight in the area.
Toyota, Joby's largest investor, expects significant benefits from the new project. According to the authors of the project, it has good prospects in Japan's mountainous terrain with many islands. For example, a half-hour aerotaxi flight over Japan would replace a two-hour car journey or an even more complicated journey by boat or ferry.
Toyota announced last month that it would invest $500 million in the air taxi venture, adding to the $394 million already invested.
Company executives said Joby aims to start commercial passenger transport as early as next year. It is already in talks to partner with Uber, Delta Air Lines and ANA. Joby has also already applied for certification with the national civil aviation regulator, Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) according to media reports.
US-based company Joby Aviation and Japanese automotive giant Toyota conducted a test flight of Japan's first electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, also dubbed a ‘flying taxi’.
Footage published on Tuesday shows the electric aircraft vertically taking off from Toyota’s Higashi-Fuji Technical Center in Shizuoka and conducting a test flight in the area.
Toyota, Joby's largest investor, expects significant benefits from the new project. According to the authors of the project, it has good prospects in Japan's mountainous terrain with many islands. For example, a half-hour aerotaxi flight over Japan would replace a two-hour car journey or an even more complicated journey by boat or ferry.
Toyota announced last month that it would invest $500 million in the air taxi venture, adding to the $394 million already invested.
Company executives said Joby aims to start commercial passenger transport as early as next year. It is already in talks to partner with Uber, Delta Air Lines and ANA. Joby has also already applied for certification with the national civil aviation regulator, Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) according to media reports.