Toyota has created advanced mobility solutions specifically for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, in line with its vision of ‘Mobility for All’.
The Accessible People Mover (APM), produced in Portugal, is an inclusive electric mobility vehicle for transporting people. It can also transport goods, and a specific version has been developed to function as an emergency assistance vehicle.
The e-puller, an electric wheelchair puller, will give users greater freedom of movement during the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
Paris – 4 December 2023 – Toyota, as the global mobility partner of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), has unveiled two inclusive mobility products for transporting people at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Accessible People Movers (APMs) and electric wheelchair pullers (e-pullers) will be used during the Games to ensure that athletes and their families, staff, volunteers and spectators can move around freely, sustainably and safely.
Accessible People Mover (APM)
Toyota believes in ‘Mobility for All.’ The APM is the latest illustration of this vision. The vehicle is designed to provide ‘last mile’ services and transport people with special accessibility needs.
During the Games, Toyota will have around 250 APMs in circulation to support the transport of athletes, visitors and staff at various facilities, including venues where events or competitions are held and other official locations, such as the Olympic athletes' village. The uses for the APMs include:
- Transporting athletes, organisers, volunteers and spectators with disabilities or mobility difficulties, including wheelchair users;
- Transporting small products during the Games;
- Emergency assistance.
National production
The APM is a battery-powered electric vehicle. It was designed in Belgium by Toyota Motor Europe and will be produced in Portugal at the Toyota Caetano Portugal factory in Ovar. Vehicle production is scheduled to begin in February 2024. These APMs will join the Caetano Bus hydrogen fuel cell buses also produced by the Salvador Caetano Group in Portugal.
e-puller - Electric wheelchair puller
Toyota co-developed the electric wheelchair puller to promote its vision of Mobility for All at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. The electric wheelchair puller converts a classic mechanical wheelchair into a battery-powered electric mobility solution, providing wheelchair users with greater freedom of movement.
The wheelchair puller was developed in collaboration with Austrian mobility start-up Klaxon, a company specialising in creating products that help wheelchair users move more easily and independently.
The wheelchair puller (e-puller) will be available throughout the Paris 2024 Games:
- In the Paralympic Village, 50 units will be available for shared mobility through the KINTO Mobility app, for use within the village. To use the service, each user will have to attach a bracket to their wheelchair.
- At the Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony, at least 150 units will be used by National Paralympic Committees, athletes and officials.
The speed of the electric puller will be limited during the Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony and when in use in the Paralympic Village. Its average range is 25 km.
Toyota's visual identity at the Paris 2024 Games
During the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, all Toyota vehicles, including the electrified fleet and advanced mobility solutions, will adopt a specific visual identity, highlighting the strong partnership between Toyota and the Games. The unique design will emphasise Toyota's multifaceted strategy, where each of the technologies present at the Games will be identifiable through specific colours.
Source: https://www.toyota.pt/mundo-toyota/noticias/toyota-paris-24-solucoes-inclusivas-de-mobilidade-eletrica