By Contributor,Josh Max
Copyright forbes
Toyota’s e-Palette bus wowed ‘em at CES in 2018, introduced as a fully autonomous, battery-electric, modular vehicle meant to support a range of tasks. Toyota envisioned partners—Amazon, Uber, Pizza Hut, DiDi, and others—plugging into its system and customizing the vehicle’s functions. And no driver, of course.
Toyota e-Pallette
The buzz was considerable, but a lot of concepts never make it to market so the excitement was taken with the proverbial grain of salt. Toyota’s vision became reality on September 15, 2025. The next-generation e-Palette BEV is now on sale, available (in Japan, at least) as a multi-use mobility vehicle.
A bus for the people? Hardly. It starts at around $200,000, meaning if it ever comes to the USA, you’ll know whoever’s behind the wheel isn’t an off-duty police officer, food service worker or college student working three jobs. It’s still futuristic, fascinating – and funny-looking.
Toyota e-Pallette
What’s it like inside?
Its interior is spacious, with large windows. It features sliding doors and an electric ramp with adjustable suspension to help with boarding. As far as its autonomy, the e-Palette ships with Level 2 driver-assistance systems. Toyota plans to upgrade to Level 4 (fully autonomous in certain conditions) by around 2027. The vehicle also employs a steer-by-wire setup – no direct mechanical link between steering wheel and wheels – the usual software control interfaces, and a modular architecture so partners can adapt systems. That translates to “You can customize the hell out of it.”
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Performance & specs
Under the hood, you’ve got a 72.8 kWh battery and a single electric motor (about 201 hp), good enough for a top speed near 50 mph and a WLTC-based range of about 155 miles (in ideal conditions). DC fast charging allows up to 90 kW, reaching 80% in ~40 minutes.
Capacity-wise, it seats up to 17 people and its low floor design (as low as 10.6 inches with suspension adjustments) also assists with entry/exit.
Toyota e-Pallette
All the things it does
This is where the e-Palette’s promise really lies. Toyota imagines it shifting roles through a day: a shuttle in the morning, a mobile store or café midday, a cargo delivery vehicle in the evening—and even serving as a mobile power supply in emergencies.
Toyota is rolling out the e-Palette first around Toyota Arena Tokyo and in Woven City. There, it will be used not just for transport but as mobile shops and service units to test its commercial viability.
Essential Questions
*Autonomous vehicles still run into gray areas in many jurisdictions in the US. Public safety, road rules, liabilities are landmines. Americans, more or less, accept tens of thousands of gruesome deaths on our highways each year. The public’s tolerance for inevitable crashes and deaths resulting from autonomous vehicles will probably be far less.
*Demand. Even if the technology works, will cities, companies, and consumers accept a vehicle that morphs roles across transit/shopping/utility?
*Autonomy ramp-ups. The shift from Level 2 to Level 4 is a big deal. Difficult conditions —pedestrians, weather, weird intersections—will test its mettle.
Regardless of public interest, whether the e-Pallette pays off will depend less on engineering than on ecosystems – cities, laws, business models – bending to meet it.
Toyota e-Pallette
Where is it being rolled out?
The initial deployments are planned for areas around Tokyo Arena and Woven City (Toyota’s experimental smart city.) The e-Palette ships with Level 2 driver assistance. Toyota aims to roll out Level 4 autonomous capabilities by 2027, they say.
When will it be available in the USA?
Toyota’s public statements do not mention a U.S. market launch at the moment due to regulatory and safety barriers, market readiness questions and Toyota’s general conservative approach to the roll-out. To successfully launch in America will require strong partnerships, infrastructure, and legal groundwork.
If you’re interested in buying, or being put on a list – each unit is made-to-order – email epalette@mail.toyota.co.j
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