The focus of self-driving vehicles seems to mainly focus on replacing the driver, but Toyota recently unveiled its 'e-Palette on demand' vehicle meant to serve as an autonomous solution for business applications. The e-Palette debuted at CES 2018 and was introduced by Toyota President Akio Toyado. The self-driving vehicle is meant to serve as a fully automated service vehicle, capable of working as a full service retail shop, showroom and mobile office that can transport on demand. Toyota hopes that the vehicle will be quickly adopted as several e-Palette's could be used to form on-demand malls, medical clinics and entertainment hubs.
Not only will the e-Palette be fully autonomous, but it will also be fully electric and powered using proprietary Toyota autonomous technology. However, Toyota is open to allowing partner companies to run their own self-driving software. During the unveiling of the e-Palette, Akio Toyado explained that the e-Palette on demand services will debut at the 2020 Olympics. Toyado further explained that an alliance of partners had already been established, known as the e-Palette alliance, and includes Amazon, DiDi, Uber, Pizza Hut and Mazda.
Autonomous Retail Vehicles
'e-Palette on Demand' is Toyota's Plan for the Future of Shopping
Trend Themes
1. Autonomous Business Vehicles - The rise of self-driving vehicles tailored to business applications presents an opportunity for disruptive innovation in the transportation industry.
2. On-demand Services - The development of on-demand malls, medical clinics and entertainment hubs with the e-Palette on demand service presents an opportunity for disruptive innovation in the retail and entertainment sectors.
3. Partnership-driven Innovation - The establishment of the e-Palette alliance, featuring diverse companies such as Amazon, DiDi, Uber, Pizza Hut and Mazda, highlights opportunities for disruptive innovation through cross-industry collaboration.
Industry Implications
1. Transportation - Autonomous business vehicles could revolutionize the transportation industry by increasing efficiency and reducing labor costs.
2. Retail - The e-Palette on demand service presents an opportunity for retail businesses to offer uniquely personalized and convenient shopping experiences while reducing the need for physical locations.
3. Entertainment - On demand malls, medical clinics and entertainment hubs enabled by the e-Palette on demand service could revolutionize the entertainment industry by delivering customized experiences to consumers on demand.