Toyota’s battery-electric autonomous pod will transport athletes around Tokyo 2020 Olympics

We first got a glimpse of the battery-electric e-Palette in conceptual form at CES 2018, with plans to build it in three sizes. Now Toyota is supplying 20 special edition models for the 2020 Olympic Games to ferry athletes and support staff around loops of the Olympic and Paralympic villages.

“Throughout the development process, athletes, especially Paralympians, helped us to better understand how we could adapt and upgrade the e-Palette to better meet the need for simple, convenient and comfortable mobility,” said development lead Takahiro Muta.

This special version will sport bench and lift-up seating inside, so that there’s room for up to four wheelchair users and seven standing passengers at a time, and feature large sliding doors, low floors and electric ramps. The floor, trim, seats and more have contrasting colors to help those with color blindness.

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