CES: Toyota creates e-Palette concept

TOYOTA has used the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas to debut a new mobility-service business alliance and concept vehicle, dubbed e-Palette.

The Japanese manufacturer has partnered with companies such as Amazon, DiDi, Mazda, Pizza Hut and Uber to create the e-Palette which is designed as a flexible battery-electric vehicle suitable for a multitude of transportation and business applications.

Built with convenience and practicality in mind, the e-Palette has an open interior layout, meaning it can be adapted to suit user needs including parcel or food delivery, ride-sharing, and other on-road business uses.

Toyota plans to offer the e-Palette in three different sizes ranging from approximately four to seven metres in length, with equipment able to be installed thanks to its flat and open interior space.

Technology providers can utilise the e-Palette to develop vehicle control technologies via an open application programming interface from Toyota which can be used for making automated driving systems such as software, camera and sensors.

It also uses Toyota’s Mobility Services Platform (MSPF) to develop connected mobility solutions in conjunction with alliance partners, as well as gathering vehicle information to aid maintenance in cooperation with Toyota dealers.

Toyota said it plans to conduct feasibility testing of the concept starting in the early 2020s in a number of regions – including the US.

It will be used at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, as will other EV concepts revealed at the Tokyo motor show in October, including a 59-seat electric bus called the Sora which is able to autonomously arrive and leave bus stops.

Toyota has given no information as to the powertrain of the e-Palette, other than it uses a battery-electric set-up that will most likely drive all four wheels.

Rendered photos show it can be offered with either four or eight wheels depending on vehicle size, while the concept on show at CES measures 4800mm long, 2000mm wide and 2250mm tall.

Toyota is planning to become a major provider of mobility hardware and services to businesses, and with the use of MSPF, can provide a suite of services to businesses that use mobility as a service.

The aforementioned business partners will explore various applications of the e-Palette concept to support their existing business needs.