Toyota Gears Up for Bigger Role at Air Taxi Maker Joby (1)

Toyota Motor Corp. is safeguarding its nearly $1 billion investment pledge to air taxi maker Joby Aviation Inc. by troubleshooting production processes and mulling a deeper manufacturing role.

The Japanese automaker, which last year became Joby’s largest shareholder, has a team of almost 200 employees working to supply critical parts, training tips and assembly line know-how. That involves deploying a set of lean manufacturing precepts known as the Toyota Production System, or TPS, said Sandy Lobenstein, Toyota’s group vice president of flying mobility.

“We’re really trying to bring TPS and the philosophy of TPS into the operations here,” ...