Toyota has delivered a new fleet of hybrid cars for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) administration less than two weeks before the Japanese giant begins working with the IOC as a Worldwide TOP (The Olympic Partner) Partner.
IOC President Thomas Bach received the cars from Philippe Rhomberg, chief executive of Toyota Switzerland, at the IOC’s headquarters in Lausanne.
The vehicles use Toyota’s latest hybrid technology, which aims to combine the benefits of gasoline engines and electric motors.
The IOC announced a global partnership with Toyota in March last year, to provide innovative and sustainable solutions for the Olympic Movement in line with Olympic Agenda 2020.
Beginning in 2017, Toyota will work with the IOC and National Olympic Committees (NOCs) around the world in a bid to deliver sustainable mobility solutions.
"This is another step in this exciting partnership, and I am particularly delighted about the new hybrid cars, which is another clear demonstration of the IOC’s commitment towards sustainability," Bach said.
"I would like to thank [Toyota President] Mr Akio Toyoda for his great personal commitment and Mr Rhomberg and his team here in Switzerland, as well as the fleet team in Toyota Motor Europe based in Brussels, for their support in implementing this programme."
Rhomberg added: "We are very proud of the partnership with the IOC, and I would personally like to thank IOC President Thomas Bach and his team in bringing the start of this journey to life.
"Their vision of creating a better world through sport is a perfect match for Toyota's philosophy.
"Every day, we make every effort to provide even better mobility solutions for society through respect, teamwork and the pursuit of continuous improvement - in the true spirit of the Toyota Way."
Toyota wants to use the partnership to "truly embrace the spirit of the Games in its day-to-day business".
It intends to support the entire Olympic Movement in the mobility category, which includes vehicles, mobility services and mobility solutions, and through funding and a global promotional reach.
Additionally, it will aim to provide sustainable mobility solutions for the Olympic Games to help with low-emission, safer, more efficient mobility, including intelligent transport systems, urban traffic systems and vehicle-to-vehicle communications systems.
Under the IOC’s management, the TOP programme supports NOCs and Organising Committees, helping towards the mission of ensuring that the Olympic Games and the Olympic Movement are truly global.
The IOC redistributes more than 90 per cent of its income to the wider sporting movement, which, it is claimed, means that every day the equivalent of $3.25 million (£2.63 million/€3.14 million) goes to help athletes and sports organisations at all levels around the world.
In December of last year, Toyota boss Toyoda resigned as a vice-president of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee in order to prioritise generating business interest in the Japanese Games.
He had played a major role alongside Tokyo 2020 chief Yoshirō Mori since being appointed in March 2014.
This has included being heavily involved in the process to select a new Tokyo 2020 emblem after the initial one was scrapped following plagiarism allegations.