Skip to main content

Toyota and SoftBank to launch joint venture for mobility services in Japan

Toyota Motor and Softbank will launch a Mobility as a Service (MaaS) business in Japan by April 2019. Called Monet Technologies, the company will combine Toyota's mobility services platform and information infrastructure for connected vehicles with Softbank's Internet of Things platform. Initially, Monet intends to deploy an on-demand transportation service as well as corporate shuttles. By the second half of the 2020s, Monet says it will launch an autonomous MaaS fleet using Toyota’s battery-ele
October 15, 2018 Read time: 1 min
1686 Toyota Motor and Softbank will launch a Mobility as a Service (8356 MaaS) business in Japan by April 2019.


Called Monet Technologies, the company will combine Toyota's mobility services platform and information infrastructure for connected vehicles with Softbank's Internet of Things platform.

Initially, Monet intends to deploy an on-demand transportation service as well as corporate shuttles.

By the second half of the 2020s, Monet says it will launch an autonomous MaaS fleet using Toyota’s battery-electric vehicles, called e-Palette. The vehicles will deliver meals with food prepared inside the vehicle and provide a hospital shuttle service where medical examinations can be carried out onboard. These vehicles can also serve as mobile offices, the company says.

Related Content

  • April 24, 2019
    Toyota and partners invest in Uber’s self-driving EVs
    Toyota Motor, Denso and the Softbank Vision Fund (SVF) will invest $1billion in Uber Advanced Technologies to accelerate the development of automated ride-sharing services. Under the current terms, Toyota and Denso will invest $667 million and SVF will put in $33m. Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber, says: “The development of automated driving technology will transform transportation as we know it, making our streets safer and our cities more livable.”
  • February 27, 2018
    Nissan and Dena launch robo-vehicle mobility service trial
    Nissan Motor and Dena will conduct a field test of the Easy Mile robo-vehicle mobility service in Japan on the 5 March that will allow participants to travel in cars equipped with autonomous driving technology. The trial is intended to help passengers discover new local destinations as well energise cities and neighbourhoods. Riders will be able to use a dedicated app to choose from a list of recommended destinations through text or voice. The in-car tablet screen will display selections of nearly 500
  • November 2, 2018
    VW and partners to bring EV autonomous ride-hailing service to Israel
    Volkswagen (VW), Mobileye and Champion Motors are to deploy a self-driving taxi service in Israel over the next four years. Operating under the name ‘New Mobility in Israel,’ the service is being tested as part of a Mobility as a Service (MaaS) model which uses autonomous electric vehicles (EV). Mobileye, an Intel company, will equip VW’s EVs with a level-4 autonomous vehicle kit – a driverless solution which consists of hardware, driving policy, safety software and map data. Champion Motors, an Isr
  • January 26, 2021
    Swat Mobility to boost modal options in Asia
    Company is combining routing tech with Willers' MaaS app to ease commuting