Autonomous Pizza Delivery Vans Might Soon Be A Thing

Worried that real life is just becoming ever more like a creepy episode of Black Mirror? You may want to look away now - unintentionally echoing a recent installment of the darkly comic Netflix series, Toyota has just revealed an autonomous vehicle that could one day deliver you takeaway pizza.

The Japanese carmaker unveiled the ‘e-Palette Concept Vehicle’ at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, while also announcing a series of ‘e-Palette Alliance’ launch partners including Amazon, DiDi, Mazda, Uber, and yes, Pizza Hut.

The e-Palette will be available in various different lengths from four to seven metres, with what Toyota describes as a “flat and extensive barrier free interior space layout” giving ultimate flexibility. You could leave it empty to leave space for parcel parcels, stick some seats in for the sake of ride sharing, or fill it with takeaway pizzas. The prospect of the vehicle cooking said pizzas en-route doesn’t seem to be beyond the realms of possibility. It’s a brave new world…

Excited by the idea of your next takeaway order being brought to you autonomously? Don’t get too ahead of yourself, as Toyota won’t start testing the e-Palette system until “the early 2020s.” The US will be one of several testing regions, and the firm may use the platform for “mobility solutions” during the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo.