Toyota revealed an autonomous concept vehicle and a mobility alliance that are designed to meet the future demands of evolving business applications and transportation services resulting from changes in mobility.

Toyota has established the e-Palette Alliance and e-Palette Concept Vehicle, a fully-automated, next generation battery-electric vehicle designed to be scalable and customizable for a range of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) businesses, Toyota announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. 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. 

Launch partners include Amazon, DiDi, Mazda, Pizza Hut and Uber, who will collaborate on vehicle planning, application concepts and vehicle verification activities, the automaker announced. DiDi, Mazda and Uber will also join as technology partners.

The e-Palette Concept Vehicle can be outfitted with purpose-built interiors in accordance with the user’s needs, such as parcel delivery, ride sharing, or e-commerce, Toyota has said. Its framework is also designed for usage optimization, allowing the e-Pallet Concept to be shared to support various business needs and transition seamlessly from one application to another. Toyota also said the e-Palette Concept may be made available in three sizes.

The e-Palette Alliance will leverage Toyota’s Mobility Services Platform (MSPF) to develop a suite of connected mobility solutions. The MSPF is Toyota’s framework for a range of connected vehicle applications, providing a full suite of services needed to support MaaS ranging from vehicle leasing and insurance to fleet management and big data.

The e-Palette Concept Vehicle features open control interface to allow partner companies to install their own automated driving system, the automaker said. 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.