New mobility ecosystem from Toyota

Toyota‘s new mobility service business alliance and e-Palette concept vehicle have been designed to meet the demands of future multi-mode transportation and business applications.

The e-Palette Alliance will leverage Toyota’s proprietary Mobility Services Platform (MSPF) to develop a suite of connected mobility solutions and a flexible, purpose-built vehicle.

The 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.

Launch partners include Amazon, DiDi, Mazda, Pizza Hut and Uber, who will collaborate on vehicle planning, application concepts and vehicle verification activities.

In the near term, the Alliance will focus on the development of the new e-Palette Concept Vehicle, which reflects one of Toyota’s visions for Automated Mobility as a Service (Autono-MaaS) applications.

It is a fully-automated, next generation battery electric vehicle (BEV) designed to be scalable and customizable for a range of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) businesses.

In addition to supporting the services provided through Toyota’s MSPF, the e-Palette Concept Vehicle’s open vehicle control interface and a set of software tools to allow partner companies to install their own automated driving system and vehicle management technology.

When a partner company’s automated driving system is installed, Toyota’s Guardian technology will act as a safety net to help ensure appropriate operation.

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, or on-the-road e-commerce.

Toyota plans to conduct feasibility testing of the e-Palette Concept in various regions, including the United States, in the early 2020s.

There are three sizes of e-Palette Concept, with different lengths, depending on the purpose-built specification. Thanks to a flat and extensive barrier free interior space layout designed with a low floor, equipment can be installed in accordance with the user’s needs, such as ride sharing specifications, hotel room specifications and retail shopping specifications.

“The automobile industry is clearly amidst its most dramatic period of change as technologies like electrification, connected and automated driving are making significant progress,” said Toyota Motor Corporation President, Akio Toyoda.

“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.”