We rarely talk about commercial vehicles and public transit on Auto123.com, but we think this new development could pique your interest. Earlier this week at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Toyota announced a new mobility service business alliance and e-Palette Concept Vehicle designed to meet the demands of future multi-mode transportation and business applications.
Launch partners include Amazon, DiDi, Mazda, Pizza Hut and Uber, who will collaborate on vehicle planning, application concepts and vehicle verification activities.
Toyota’s e-Palette is a fully automated, next-generation battery electric vehicle designed to be scalable and customizable for a range of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) businesses.
With its open interior design layout, the vehicle can be outfitted with purpose-built interiors in accordance with the user’s needs, whether it be parcel delivery, ride sharing, mobile hotel rooms or on-the-road e-commerce. Its flexible framework is also designed for usage optimization, allowing the e-Pallet Concept to be shared to support various business needs and transition seamlessly from one application to another. Toyota envisions that the e-Palette Concept will be made available in three sizes, allowing not just need-specific applications, but also right-sized and right-place mobile solutions.
Toyota plans to conduct feasibility testing of the e-Palette Concept in various regions, including the United States, in the early 2020s. It also hopes to contribute to the success of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 by providing mobility solutions like the e-Palette and other innovative mobility offerings.
The following video will give you a better idea of what it’s all about…