Hot Japanese Stocks and Entertainment

Toyota Motor Corporation (“Toyota”) and Waymo reached a preliminary agreement to explore a collaboration focused on accelerating the development and deployment of autonomous driving technologies. Woven by Toyota will also join the potential collaboration as Toyota’s strategic enabler, contributing its strengths in advanced software and mobility innovation. This potential partnership is built on a shared vision of improving road safety and delivering increased mobility for all. Toyota and Waymo aim to combine their respective strengths to develop a new autonomous vehicle platform. In parallel, the companies will explore how to leverage Waymo's autonomous technology and Toyota's vehicle expertise to enhance next-generation personally owned vehicles (POVs). The scope of the collaboration will continue to evolve through ongoing discussions. Toyota has long advanced research and development in support of a zero-traffic-accident vision, guided by a three-pillar approach...

     

  Nov 2024 - Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) and Joby Aviation (Joby) conducted a successful test flight of Joby's air taxi at Toyota's Higashi-Fuji Technical Center (Shizuoka, Japan). Akio Toyoda, the chairman of the Toyota Group, and Joby CEO and founder, JoeBen Bevirt, were also present to lent support to the test flight. The air taxi can potentially shorten travel time between Tokyo and Shizuoka from 2 hours to 25 minutes. Global commercial passenger operations will start next year with partners, including Uber, Delta Air Lines and ANA, here in Japan. JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby (left), Akio Toyoda, Chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation (right)  

Toyota to invest an additional $500 million to support Joby's electric air taxi commercial production Toyota City, Japan, and Santa Cruz, CA, October 2, 2024―Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota; NYSE: TM / JPX: 7203) and Joby Aviation, Inc. (Joby; NYSE: JOBY), a company developing electric air taxis for commercial passenger service, today announced that Toyota will invest an additional $500 million to support the certification and commercial production of Joby's electric air taxi, with the aim of realizing the two companies' shared vision of air mobility.   The investment, which will be made in two equal tranches, is subject to standard regulatory approvals and certain other conditions, finalization of collaborative and commercial agreements and, with respect to the second tranche, the finalization of terms related to a strategic alliance focused on commercial manufacturing and certain other conditions. The investment, which will bring Toyota Motor Corporation's total inve...