Specially-Designed Toyota “Tokyo 2020 Version” e-Palette to Provide Automated Mobility to Athletes

With the Olympic and Paralympic Games less than a year away, Toyota is pushing the production of its e-Palette electric vehicles. They are looking to have a minimum of 20 on-site to transport athletes around Tokyo.

Toyota’s vehicles will travel through the athlete’s village with a pre-planned route in a loop. One of the cool things about the e-Palette, is that it is an SAE Level 4-capable autonomous vehicle which means it will navigate the is by itself. For safety reasons, there will be a person on board to take control if needed. The company will be equipping the vehicles to fit the needs of the athletes.

Each vehicle accommodates four passengers with wheelchairs. This also includes the ability to make a ramp for those who need it. The vehicle is also adapted for those who are colorblind. There is going to be a smaller version called Field Support Robot. The e-Palette is equipped with a specially-designed automated driving system that includes control hardware, software, and advanced sensors such as cameras and LiDAR. Combined with high-accuracy 3D mapping and an operation management system, e-Palette will realize low-speed automated driving at SAE level 4.

Toyota envisions a future mobility society centered on people. Its booth at the Tokyo Motor Show this time took on a new form as an entertainment-filled theme park. Toyota’s e-Palette and various other forms of future mobility will be on display. Japan is doing everything it can to be the place for the future, but with all the natural issues as of late, it looks like it might set some things back a few years, but the future seems to be Tokyo.

Toyota will provide a total of around 3,700 mobility products and/or vehicles for Tokyo 2020. The majority, or nearly 90 percent, of the official vehicle fleet, will be electrified. Electrified vehicles include Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV), Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV), such as the hydrogen-powered Mirai, Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV), the Prius PHV (known as Prius Prime in some markets), and Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV), including the “APM” (Accessible People Mover) and the e-Palette as well as TOYOTA Concept-i, which will provide a unique and wide range of diverse mobility during Tokyo 2020.