Toyota begins eco-car production in UK
Automotive giant Toyota has begun production of a petrol/electric hybrid version of its popular Auris model at its Derbyshire production factory. This is the first petrol/electric hybrid to be mass-produced in Europe and marks what could be a very interesting development for the UK automotive industry which has been struggling of late. This comes just days after Nissan agreed a deal with the UK government to begin production of its own electric vehicle in the Northeast and just ahead of an expected appeal from General Motors for assistance with a similar operation in the UK.
Only yesterday we saw Vince Cable suggesting that the UK automotive industry was over the worst and, unless things changed significantly, would not qualify for "emergency funding" from the UK government. While there's no doubt that the UK automotive industry was assisted by the car scrappage scheme, introduced by the previous Labour government, there are some who fear a further decline in the UK automotive industry in the short to medium term if the economy continues to struggle.
The electric car industry is one of the fastest-growing areas of the automotive industry and if the UK government, and the UK automotive industry, can attract the likes of Nissan, Toyota and General Motors to the UK then this should form a significant base for the future.
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