Toyota rises to Olympic AV mobility challenge

With the Tokyo 2020 Olympics fast approaching, Toyota is adapting 20 of its e-Palette autonomous shuttles to move contestants around the athletes’ village. Adoption of the automated electric vehicles has been based in part on feedback from athletes from past games about their mobility needs. The 5.2m long e-Palette shuttles feature large doors, a low floor and electric ramps to allow up to 20 Olympians or four wheelchair Paralympians (plus additional standing passengers), to board quickly and easily.
October 24, 2019 Read time: 2 mins

Direct from ITS World Congress 2019

With the Tokyo 2020 Olympics fast approaching, 1686 Toyota is adapting 20 of its e-Palette autonomous shuttles to move contestants around the athletes’ village.

Adoption of the automated electric vehicles has been based in part on feedback from athletes from past games about their mobility needs.

The 5.2m long e-Palette shuttles feature large doors, a low floor and electric ramps to allow up to 20 Olympians or four wheelchair Paralympians (plus additional standing passengers), to board quickly and easily.

The SAE level 4 vehicle is capable of operating at up to 20kmh and will be supported by an on-board safety operator.

Deploying the e-Palette for athlete and staff mobility is a key element of Toyota’s program to provide advanced mobility solutions for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics; the knowledge gained will be fed back into developing the vehicle to support future MaasS applications.


Designed with front/rear symmetry, wheels at the corners and a cube shape, Toyota’s e-Palette provides an expansive interior space.

In line with the company’s “Mobility for All” commitment, it is fitted with handrails and seats that are easy to use regardless of height, while the floor, trim, seats and other components have contrasting colours that assist people with colour-blindness.

The shuttle is the first developed specifically by the company for autonomous mobility as a service (“Autono-MaaS”) applications, reflecting Toyota’s transition to a mobility company combining electrification, connectivity and advanced driving technologies to support new shared mobility business models.

In common with the athletes they will carry, what will happen to the shuttles once the Olympics are over will be decided after the closing ceremony.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Shock therapy: jolt for EV charging needed
    October 2, 2018
    As sales of electric vehicles accelerate, the growth of charging infrastructure is in need of a big boost. Graham Anderson reports on whether Europe is up to it. Utilities, technology companies and vehicle manufacturers are battling to put in place new charging networks for electric vehicles (EVs) across Europe in response to a predicted dramatic surge in demand. Market experts believe that rapidly falling battery costs – which make up about one third of the costs of an electric car – and growing
    Read More
  • New Flyer and Robotic Research partner on driverless buses
    May 21, 2019
    Bus manufacturer New Flyer of America has partnered with Robotic Research to develop driverless bus technology. The partners will deploy advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) in heavy-duty transit bus applications. New Flyer says the partnership supports the Federal Transit Administration’s plan to assess potential risks, barriers and mitigation strategies associated with the implementation of automation technologies in transit buses. Both companies will seek to develop an Xcelsior Charge battery-e
    Read More
  • Keeping people on track is RATP’s raison d’etre
    June 14, 2018
    In Paris, RATP Group’s autonomous Metro Line 1 is carrying 750,000 people a day across the city. Ben Spencer is invited into the control room to take a look at how the system works Paris is visited by millions of tourists each year, keen to see for themselves stunning attractions such as the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Notre-Dame, the Louvre, the Seine and all the rest. But while the best-known sites of the City of Light tend to be on the surface, there is a lot going on below those iconic grand boule
    Read More
  • EasyMile participates in Colorado AV trial
    August 16, 2021
    AvCo partners include Stantec Generation AV, Panasonic and CDoT
    Read More

Highlighted Content