Toyota aims at early 2020 for autonomous EV mobility services

Opposition to autonomous vehicles has focused on concerns that they will be only for the decadent joy of private motorists thus increasing traffic volumes.

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But going anywhere, any time in robotic driving mode is a long way off.

Mobility and freight services, over well-defined routes, may be the first major step.

Toyota is developing an e-Palette autonomous electric vehicles service to provide on-demand transport facilities in the early 2020s.

This will be trialled at Toyota’s Woven City, a prototype city being built in the foothills of Mount Fuji in Japan.

This real-world testing will pave the way for commercial operation in the next few years to deliver goods, services and mobility to people when needed.

It might still be used for private, mechanically chauffeured trips, especially with an ageing population, but shared vehicles and moving freight will be of great benefit to the community.

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About David Brown 607 Articles
David’s boyhood passion for motor cars did not immediately lead to a professional role in the motor industry. A qualified Civil Engineer he specialised in traffic engineering and transport planning. What followed were various positions including being seconded to a government think-tank for the planning of transport firstly in Sydney and then for the whole of NSW. After working with the NRMA and as a consultant he moved to being an independent writer and commentator on the broader areas of transport and the more specific areas of the cars we drive. His half hour motoring program “Overdrive” has been described as an “informed, humorous and irreverent look at motoring and transport from Australia and overseas”. It is heard on 22 stations across Australia. He does weekly interviews with several ABC radio stations and is also heard on commercial radio in Sydney. David has written for metropolitan and regional newspapers and has presented regular segments on metropolitan and regional television stations. David is also a contributor for AnyAuto