Market on wheels — Toyota has a future where the bazaar drives to you

Toyota's e-Palette concept

Toyota Motor Corporation president Akio Toyoda has unveiled a smart mobility concept e-Palette, a driverless, fully-electric, open source, plug-and-play platform which besides ride sharing can bring the market to your doorstep.

e-Palette is a purpose-built-vehicle, which is as big as a mini bus, can be tuned for a variety of needs such as a mobile hotel, restaurant on wheels, delivery vehicle, ride sharing or even a flea market on wheels.

Amazon, DiDi, Mazda, Pizza Hut and Uber are some of the big names that have joined the e-Palette Alliance already. Since the technology is open source other automotive companies can tap into it for tailor-made solutions.

“It's an open, flexible platform that can be easily adapted to support a range of uses including ride-sharing, delivery and retail. Today, you have to travel to the store. In the future, with e-Palette, the store will come to you!”, said Toyoda at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2018) in Los Angeles.

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. Its flexible framework is also designed for usage optimisation, allowing the e-Palette 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.

“By combining several e-Palettes in one place, businesses or communities can quickly create a mobile hub for services ranging from medical clinics to entertainment and festivals,” added Toyoda.

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.

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.

By the early 2020's, we will have more than 10 battery electric vehicles available worldwide, and by 2025, every model in the Lexus and Toyota line up will either be electric, or will have an electrified option.