Electricity is generated as you drive the car, captured from the energy created when you brake or slow down. This power is then stored ready for use in the hybrid battery. A power control unit automatically determines the most efficient power source to use at any moment, whether you are in slow moving traffic or on the open road. In stop-start traffic, our full hybrid system switches to all-electric EV mode to maximise the benefit of driving with zero tailpipe emissions and zero fuel consumption. If battery power runs low, or you increase your speed, the hybrid engine automatically restarts.

We have always recognised the value of making vehicles within or close to the markets where they will be sold. This is true, too, of our hybrid models, with production plants operating in a number of countries outside Japan. Our hybrid production facilities at Valenciennes in France and Burnaston and Deeside in the UK are two of our designated sustainable plants, which set global standards for environmentally efficient manufacturing.

This includes reducing demand on natural resources, recycling and eliminating waste, drawing energy from sustainable and renewable sources and working in harmony with the local environment and communities. By making hybrids locally, we further reduce their environmental impact by removing the need for long-distance shipping around the world. This helps us shrink our vehicles’ carbon footprint and supports our commitment to reducing emissions at every stage of a vehicle’s lifecycle.