Toyota has unveiled its vision of the future with the introduction of its new mobility service business alliance and e-Palette concept vehicle, which are designed to meet the demands of future multi-mode transportation. The e-Palette Alliance and concept vehicle are being unveiled this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Toyota says that the new e-Palette Alliance will use its proprietary Mobility Services Platform to develop a suite of connected mobility solutions and a flexible, purpose-built vehicle. The new alliance will create a broad-based ecosystem of hardware and software support designed to help a range of companies utilize advanced mobility technology to better serve customers. Toyota is teaming up with Amazon, DiDi, Mazda, Pizza Hut and Uber, who will collaborate on vehicle planning, application concepts and vehicle verification activities.
The first item on the agenda is the new e-Palette concept vehicle, which is a fully-automated electric vehicle that’s designed to be scalable and customizable for a range of Mobility as a Service businesses. With its open interior design layout, the concept can be outfitted with purpose-built interiors depending on individual needs, like whether it be parcel delivery, ride sharing, or on-the-road e-commerce. Toyota envisions that the e-Palette Concept will be available in three sizes.
“The automobile industry is clearly amidst its most dramatic period of change as technologies like electrification, connected and automated driving are making significant progress. Toyota remains committed to making ever better cars. Just as important, we are developing mobility solutions to help everyone enjoy their lives, and we are doing our part to create an ever-better society for the next 100 years and beyond. This announcement marks a major step forward in our evolution towards sustainable mobility, demonstrating our continued expansion beyond traditional cars and trucks to the creation of new values including services for customers”, said Akio Toyoda.
Toyota plans to start testing the e-Palette concept in various regions, including the United States, in the early 2020s.
Source: Toyota
