Toyota e-Palette: how a prototype is able to adapt to a personal mobility ecosystem

CES 2018 is presented as one of the most fascinating and interesting editions of the technology show. At that event, we always come across true feats of science, which make the world work in a simpler and more efficient way. On this occasion, Toyota has stepped forward, as befits one of the most advanced automotive companies in the world. The Japanese brand has presented the e-Palette, a fully electric and autonomous vehicle that aims to mark a before and after.

The electric motor has established itself very strongly in today’s market and, over time, is proving that in the future it will gain even more prominence. Toyota backs up this theory with the new e-Palette, a vehicle that will rise in a few years as a complete revolution and will radically change the world of mobility. However, to bring this novel model to life, the Japanese company has not collaborated alone.

Toyota has been drawing attention in the technology field since its beginnings and, at the same time, several companies are interested in collaborating with the brand on this new project. Amazon, DiDi, Mazda, Pizza Hut and Uber have submitted a request to join forces with the Japanese brand and provide all their resources and knowledge to make the vehicle of the future a reality. All of them not only seek to make considerable progress in the automotive world, but also to complement the services they offer their customers with this new prototype.

As a result of this broad collaboration, the e-Palette has a special feature. Mainly, its design has been focused on satisfying the customers of different companies, so that each of them can create its own mobility ecosystem. This means that each partner industry will be able to install an autonomous driving system and different elements inside the vehicle, so switching from one company to another will be at the touch of a button.

Toyota has stated that they plan to offer different sizes of the e-Palette, so versatility will be one of the features of this very special prototype. Another of its distinctive traits is the very simple way of applying the different software of the partner companies, so time and money will be saved.

Had the Japanese company presented this vehicle ten years ago, we would have assumed that hundreds or even thousands of years would pass before we could have that technology in our hands or, if it arrived soon, its cost would have been far too high. However, Toyota has confirmed that in 2020 it will begin testing this new model, which indicates that its production is not unrealistic and we may see the e-Palette much sooner than we imagine.