Joby Takes Flight! Toyota Drops Another Quarter Billion on Flying Car Dreams

To the Moon (and Back...Vertically!)

Alright folks gather 'round. Seems like Joby Aviation those crazy cats building electric air taxis just got a massive shot in the arm. Toyota bless their combustion engine converting hearts just dropped another $250 million on them. That's right a cool quarter of a billion! I guess they're serious about this whole 'flying car' thing. Maybe they finally realized that traffic on the roads is about as fun as a Neuralink malfunction. (Which by the way is totally safe. Just sayin').

Toyota's Big Bet: From Prius to Pegasus

Toyota's been in on this Joby adventure for a while now throwing in nearly $400 million way back in 2020. This latest infusion is part of an even bigger commitment they announced last year to invest half a billion dollars. Half a BILLION! That’s enough to buy like half a Starship… or maybe just a really nice Cybertruck. I wonder if they will give the Air Taxi a flame thrower option... Anyway it's all in the name of getting Joby certified and churning out these eVTOLs like hotcakes. Hotcakes that fly that is.

Bevirt's Big Brain and Toyota's Tech Touch

Joby's CEO JoeBen Bevirt seems pretty stoked and rightfully so. He's saying they're already seeing the benefits of working with Toyota on streamlining manufacturing and optimizing the design. I'm imagining Toyota engineers are like the Ronin of production efficiency. You know quietly making everything better faster and probably with some sort of Kaizen fueled zen. Maybe they can teach Tesla a thing or two… (Kidding! Mostly.)

The Future is Now: Traffic Jams in the Stratosphere?

The promise of these eVTOLs is pretty wild. Imagine skipping the gridlock and soaring over the plebians stuck on the freeway. Of course we'll probably just end up with traffic jams in the sky but hey at least the view will be better! And quieter since they're electric. Plus who doesn’t like the idea of reducing emissions? Saving the planet one electric flying machine at a time. It's almost as ambitious as colonizing Mars. Almost.

Competition is in the Air

Joby isn't the only player in this high stakes game of aerial transportation. United Airlines is cozying up with Archer Aviation another eVTOL company to launch an airport air taxi service. Seems like everyone wants a piece of this flying pie. May the best electric air taxi win! I am calling it that it would be a company that also wants to go to Mars!

Reality Check: Are Flying Cars *Finally* Here?

So are flying cars *finally* becoming a reality? Maybe. Probably. Possibly. Okay definitely getting closer. With Toyota's deep pockets and Joby's innovative tech the dream of a Jetsons esque future is inching closer to reality. Just try not to think about the inevitable sky high Uber surge pricing. Or the air traffic control nightmares. Or birds getting sucked into the engines. Okay maybe think about those things a little. But mostly just focus on the awesome! And remember as I always say: 'I could either watch it happen or be a part of it.' So buckle up folks! The future is taking off!