May Mobility and NTT Mobility plan to operate the Toyota e-Palette on Japan’s public streets in 2026, the first public-road deployment of an autonomous e-Palette in the country. The vehicles will run May Mobility’s autonomous driving system (ADS) and join NTT Mobility’s fleet in Japan, with the companies targeting multiple public sites this year and additional locations in 2027. The e-Palette is a battery-electric platform Toyota developed for mobility-as-a-service use, and the companies say the deployments are intended to demonstrate the operational readiness required under Japan’s Level 4 certification program, which permits driverless operation.
Highlights
- First public-road operation of an autonomous e-Palette in Japan, planned for 2026
- Multiple public deployment sites in 2026, with more planned for 2027 and fleet expansion in fiscal year 2027
- NTT Mobility Operation Assist remote-monitoring platform launched July 8, 2026
- May Mobility has run demonstrations or services in nine Japanese cities, including Tokyo, Nagoya, and Hiroshima
From Private Campuses to Public Streets
The public-road plan follows two closed-site programs. In 2024, Toyota and May Mobility debuted an e-Palette prototype running May Mobility’s AV technology at Toyota Motor Kyushu’s Miyata factory in Fukuoka, carrying employees and guests across the private campus. From March 2025 to March 2026, NTT ran autonomous driving demonstrations with May Mobility-powered e-Palettes on the grounds of the NTT Central Training Center in Chofu City, Tokyo, a program Self Drive News covered at its launch.
May Mobility has conducted demonstrations and operated autonomous services in nine cities across Japan to date.
How May Mobility’s ADS Makes Driving Decisions
According to May Mobility, its ADS builds a dynamic world model of the road from physics, traffic rules, and local driving culture. Every 200 milliseconds, the company says, the system generates hundreds of “what-if” scenarios; a multi-policy reasoning engine then selects from deep-learned and rules-based strategies and rejects any it deems unsafe.
What Is the Toyota e-Palette?
Launched in late 2025, the e-Palette is a battery-electric vehicle Toyota Motor Corp. developed specifically for mobility-as-a-service applications. Toyota says the platform carries up to seven passengers, accommodates wheelchair users, is designed to integrate with autonomous vehicle technologies, and is equipped with redundant systems for safety and reliability.
May Mobility and NTT Mobility say the e-Palette deployment is meant to improve the rider experience and transportation accessibility while addressing Japan’s transportation challenges.
Deployment Timeline and Level 4 Path
NTT Mobility plans to begin public-road demonstration tests with May Mobility-powered e-Palettes at its Co-Creation Hub, an autonomous driving demonstration site, in the near future. The companies plan public e-Palette deployments at multiple sites in 2026, with additional sites in 2027.
Through year-round demonstrations at the Co-Creation Hub and selected cities across Japan, the fleets are expected to build experience in commercial districts and residential streets with heavy car, pedestrian, and cyclist traffic. The companies intend these deployments to serve as the foundation for demonstrating the technology and operational readiness required under Japan’s Level 4 certification program.
“We’ve spent the last few years working closely with NTT to redefine transportation in Japan. The next stretch expands the scale: more communities, bigger deployments, the first autonomous e-Palette on Japan’s public roads, and riders getting where they need to go with no one in the driver’s seat,” said Dr. Edwin Olson, CEO and founder of May Mobility.
NTT Mobility launched its NTT Mobility Operation Assist platform on July 8, 2026, to prepare for Level 4 operations. The company says the Co-Creation Hub and Operation Assist together combine public-road testing with scalable remote monitoring and mission-critical communication, giving local governments and transit operators a package aimed at driver shortages and sustaining regional transportation.
Fleet Expansion in Fiscal Year 2027
May Mobility and NTT Mobility plan to expand their e-Palette fleet in fiscal year 2027, supporting regions facing bus route closures and worsening driver shortages. Adding e-Palette models to a lineup that already includes other vehicle types is intended to let the companies match vehicle size to differing regional requirements.
The companies also aim to expand deployment and operational infrastructure with the goal of achieving Level 4 driverless autonomy and accelerating a nationwide rollout. NTT Mobility, established in December 2025, consolidates the NTT Group’s nationwide coverage, technology, and expertise to support the procurement, deployment, and operation of autonomous vehicles.
