Toyota’s e-Palette: The Electric Bus That Serves Coffee and Screens Movies
City buses need not be dreary metal boxes shuttling passengers from point A to B, and Toyota has set out to prove it. In Japan, the automaker has launched sales of the e-Palette, a fully electric minibus designed to be far more than public transport. One morning it can serve as a commuter shuttle, by lunchtime it transforms into a café, and come evening it might just become a mobile cinema.
The e-Palette enters the Japanese market as a made-to-order vehicle, a flexible platform Toyota promotes as equally suited to a city route, a travelling shop, or an entertainment hub on wheels.
Inside, it seats up to 17 people—16 passengers plus a driver. Accessibility is a core part of the design, with a wide entry, low floor, and the option of a telescopic ramp to let wheelchair users board independently.
Power comes from a 204-horsepower electric motor delivering 266 Nm of torque. With a top speed capped at 80 km/h and a 72.82 kWh battery offering around 250 km per charge, its range is tailored for urban duty rather than long-haul travel.
Toyota itself paints the picture: in the morning and evening, it runs a fixed route; midday, it shifts into a vending point or pop-up café; by night, with the right equipment, its cabin can project film classics or even a live football match.
Options include external and internal display systems, wheelchair fixtures, and advanced driver-assistance features. By 2027, Toyota promises the e-Palette will gain full autonomous driving capability.
Pricing starts from 29 million yen—over €167,000—but Japan’s Ministry of the Environment offers subsidies to ease the burden for commercial operators.
