Toyota New Zealand has just renewed its marathon partnership with Emirates Team New Zealand, recommitting to a relationship that began in 1992 and now stretches across 34 years of high-performance sailing, grassroots development, and tech-first thinking, just in time for the defence of the 38th America’s Cup.
This is a full-throttle celebration of Kiwi engineering, community pathways and low-emission innovation. Toyota’s Chief Strategic Officer Andrew Davis frames the tie-up as a values match: relentless improvement, bravery in experimentation, and national pride, traits that echo throughout both organisations.
The renewed sponsorship amplifies New Zealand’s global sporting brand and underlines an increasingly important message: high performance and sustainability can go hand-in-hand. Emirates Team New Zealand’s hydrogen-powered Chase Zero support boat, built around Toyota fuel cell tech, is showcased as tangible proof that world-class racing platforms can also pioneer cleaner propulsion systems. That crossover between motorsport-grade engineering and green mobility is an R&D pipeline New Zealand can export to the world.
The partnership continues to back grassroots sailing programs (from Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron initiatives to the Toyota Optimist Nationals and the Toyota Kiwi Cup) strengthening the talent pipeline that feeds the national team and inspires kids who dream of wearing the silver fern. Andrew Davis explicitly ties the partnership to building confidence and capability in the next generation of sailors.
With the 38th America’s Cup on the horizon, Toyota says its mission is simple: bring Kiwis together. Expect a mix of national activations, community events from Northland to Southland, and digital content designed to make the Cup accessible and exciting for everyday fans, not just hardcore sailing followers. The brand’s intent is to turn each high-stakes regatta into a nationwide moment of pride and participation.
This announcement reinforces Toyota New Zealand’s positioning as a company that wants the country to lead rather than follow, a fitting narrative for a corporation whose global identity is built on both mobility innovation and mass-market reach. The partnership illustrates how sporting sponsorship can advance technical projects (like hydrogen support vessels) while delivering powerful brand stories that resonate locally and internationally.
After 34 years, the Toyota–Emirates Team New Zealand partnership is a rare continuity in a fast-evolving sporting landscape. It’s equal parts engineering laboratory, community investment and national theatre, designed to keep New Zealand punching above its weight both on the water and in the race for cleaner mobility.
