Toyota shows APM as ‘people mover’ for the Olympics

Toyota’s APM, or ‘Accessible People Mover,’ is an electric vehicle designed to transport persons or goods and can also be used as an emergency vehicle. It was developed in Toyota’s R&D center in Zaventem, Belgium, and will be produced at Toyota Caetano in Portugal.

For years already, Toyota has been the worldwide mobility partner of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and 250 AMP will be first used to transport athletes and accompanying people at the Paris Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games in Paris (in July and August).

Apart from the APMs, Toyota also provides so-called e-pullers at the Olympics, which are used in combination with wheelchairs to ensure that athletes, their families, personnel, volunteers, and spectators can move freely, safely, and sustainably. 200 of them will be present at the Games.

Specialized electric mobility

The APM is a fully electric vehicle developed in a record two years by the engineers of Toyota Motor Europe’s R&D Center in Zaventem, Belgium. It has a range of some 100 km and can drive up to a speed of 20 kph.

During the Olympics, Toyota will use 250 of them to transport athletes, visitors with mobility problems, and personnel. During the games, the vehicles can be used as people movers, transport vehicles for goods, or even as emergency vehicles. The assembly line for the APM at Toyota Caetano in Portugal started producing APMs in February of this year.

The e-puller is a device that transforms a classic mechanical wheelchair into an electrically driven device, providing more mobility, freedom, and flexibility for the user. It was developed by Toyota in collaboration with the Austrian start-up Klaxon, a company specializing in developing and manufacturing tools that can help wheelchair users move more easily and independently.

In Paris, 50 e-pullers will be available as shared mobility aids via Toyota’s Kinto Mobility app for use inside the Olympic Village. Potential users must install a shackle on their wheelchairs to use the e-puller.

At the opening ceremony of the Paralympics, at least 150 e-pullers will be used by the national Paralympic committees, athletes, and personnel. For this special occasion, the speed of the e-puller will be limited to 3 or a maximum of 4 kph. Inside the Paralympic Village, they will pull at 6 to 8 kph. Their range is 25 kilometers.

As the principal mobility partner of the Olympics, Toyota is deploying a wide range of vehicles and mobility aids in Paris. These include the APM, the e-puller, Mirai hydrogen cars, specially modified Proace vans, and Yaris Cross cars.