Prius a smash for Toyota

The current, controversial environmental debate is having a big effect on car sales, says Toyota. And hybrids are increasingly getting the green light with drivers.

The Japanese firm claims its Prius has made up a third of all business so far this year at its biggest European dealer, London's Toyota Jemca. Last month alone, it shifted 111 Prius cars out of 358 sales.

An increasing number of environmentally aware buyers see hybrids as the answer to emissions clampdowns. "Consumers accept the technology as a key part of reducing their carbon footprint," said a Toyota spokesman. The low-polluting car has seen sales soar in the UK since 2001 - its first full year - when only 616 found homes.

British dealers hope to shift 4,500 in 2006 - a figure that could have been greater had global demand been less. US drivers bought more than 100,000 examples of the petrol/electric green machine in 2005.

Meanwhile, nearly 60 per cent of motorists worry about the environmental damage their car is causing, a new survey shows. Half of the drivers questioned by insurance firm Admiral said they would consider buying a hybrid, and that more congestion charging would make them think twice about using their car in a city.

However, 15 per cent planned to do more miles in 2007, even if they did think petrol was too expensive.