Hybrid car 'tops Japanese sales charts'

The Toyota Prius is facing stiff competition from a new hybrid built by rival car maker Honda.

Last month the Honda Insight was the best selling car of its size in Japan, the first time that a hybrid vehicle has held top spot during a monthly sales period.

According to figures from the Japan Automobile Dealers Association, 10,481 Honda Insight cars were bought, taking its total sales for the last three months to more than 19,000.

The main reason for the healthy sales is the price of the Honda. A basic Toyota Prius costs almost £18,000; the equivalent Insight is £15,490.

A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “Hybrid cars will continue to improve, but today’s examples are bettered in terms of fuel economy and emissions by the latest diesel vehicles.”

How green are hybrid cars?

The Honda Insight can run on battery power or a conventional petrol engine giving average emissions of 101g/CO₂ per kilometre. Whilst there is much to be said for the ability of hybrids to run silently and without exhaust emissions in urban areas, a new generation of diesel cars now produces less CO₂.

For example, the Ibiza Ecomotive 1.4 TDI 80PS features a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) that minimises particulates and helps reduce CO₂ emissions to 99 g/km and offers a fuel economy of 74.3 mpg, a better figure than the Honda Insight’s 65mpg.

Furthermore, hybrid cars rely on batteries that need to be replaced periodically. Although they can be recycled, they are not regarded as environmentally friendly to manufacture.