Hybrid production goes into overdrive

After months of cutting output, closing plants and laying off staff as its car exports crashed, the world's biggest carmaker has resumed overtime work to ramp up production of its new Prius hybrid.

Last month, an industrial survey said the low-emission car for the first time topped Japan's monthly domestic car sales - knocking its main rival, Honda Motor's Insight hybrid, from first spot.

While US carmakers like General Motors are on life support, struggling under the dead weight of their fuel-guzzling sports utility vehicles, Toyota is humming to the tune of next-generation car technology.

Hybrids were off to a slow start more than a decade ago, but since Toyota pioneered their mass production with its first generation Prius in 1997, annual sales have reached 1.8 million vehicles worldwide.

Source: Sapa-AFP

Published courtesy of