Toyota cheers on athletes at the Special Olympics World Games in Berlin
- Toyota as a Special Olympics global partner supports the athletes competing in Germany
- Toyota employees in Germany volunteer to help the athletes live out a day of their dream
Brussels, 19 June 2023 – Special Olympics is a global movement for the inclusion of children and adults with intellectual disabilities. It strives to create inclusive communities of athletes around the world, where every person is accepted and welcomed, regardless of ability. Toyota Motor Corporation became a global partner of Special Olympics in 2018 with Toyota Motor Europe partnering with Special Olympics Europe Eurasia since 2020.
Toyota’s partnership with Special Olympics builds on its Start Your Impossible philosophy, sharing the same values of striving to create an inclusive society where everyone, with or without disabilities, can participate and compete through sports and mobility. Toyota believes that mobility goes way beyond cars - it is about freedom of movement, overcoming challenges and making dreams come true. Supporting the Special Olympics represents an opportunity for Toyota to put into practice its long-cherished values of inclusivity and diversity.
As the Special Olympics World Games in Berlin began this weekend, Toyota's global representatives and European management were present to meet and cheer on the athletes.
The spirit of Special Olympics resonates perfectly with our Start Your Impossible philosophy, which drives us to provide Ever Better Mobility for All in order to contribute to an Ever Better Society where every single person is accepted and welcomed. Let’s believe in everyone and give everyone the chance to realise their dreams.
Our employees view it as a privilege to volunteer as they can develop their inclusive mindset by understanding, participating and interacting with the Special Olympics athletes. We believe that it will help grow our ability to contribute to a more sustainable society.
35 Toyota employees in Germany* are working as volunteers behind the scenes of the World Games. They have one goal: to help the athletes live out a day of their dream.
Examples of Toyota Motor Europe’s activities supporting Special Olympics
- TME volunteers supported SO Belgium national games (May 2023)
- Toyota Germany Foundation supported provision of medals and participation ribbons (April 2023)
- TME employees joined SO athletes’ training at its work premises (March 2023)
- Toyota in Italy supported SO athletes during the national winter games (March 2023) and the e-bike stage of the Giro d’Italia (May 2023)
* Employees of Toyota entities in Germany including Toyota Deutschland GmbH (Toyota Germany), KINTO Deutschland GmbH, Toyota Versicherungsdienst (Toyota Insurance), Toyota Kreditbank GmbH (Toyota Financial Services)
Toyota Motor Europe NV/SA (TME) oversees the wholesale sales and marketing of Toyota, GR (Gazoo Racing) and Lexus vehicles and parts and accessories, as well as Toyota’s European manufacturing and engineering operations. Toyota directly employs over 25,000 people and has invested over EUR 11 billion in Europe since 1990. Its eight European manufacturing plants are located in Portugal, the UK, France, Poland, Czech Republic and Turkey. Today, there are approximately 16.5 million Toyota, GR and Lexus vehicles on European roads, whose drivers are supported by a network of 28 National Marketing and Sales Companies and around 2,800 retail sales outlets in 53 countries (EU, UK, EFTA countries + Russia, Israel, Turkey and other Eastern European countries). In 2022, TME sold 1,080,975 vehicles in Europe for a 6.4% market share. For more information, visit Facts & Figures (toyota.eu) and www.toyota-europe.com.
Toyota believes that when people are free to move, anything is possible. In the pursuit of "Mobility for All", Toyota aims to create safer, more connected, inclusive and sustainable mobility to achieve its mission of producing “Happiness for All”. In Europe, TME launched the KINTO mobility brand which offers a range of mobility services in 14 countries, and is growing its business-to-business sales of zero-emission fuel cell products and engineering support. Contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Toyota is working to achieve carbon neutrality in its entire business across Europe. A historic leader in CO2 reduction in Europe, TME aims to achieve 100% CO2 reduction in all new vehicles in Western Europe by 2035 and will continue to offer a full range of electrified powertrains to customers across the region with its hybrid, plug-in hybrid, battery and fuel cell electric vehicles.