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Toyota & Lexus: Hybrid sales in Europe hit 20%

The ‘Green’ evangelists want to get us all driving electric cars to save the planet, but in the real world car drivers want a car that offers them all the practicality of a normal ICE car, but without the penalties of the poor range, high cost and inconvenience of an EV. So, with ever-rising fuel costs, it’s no wonder car buyers are willing to pay a little more for a car that offers better economy at the pumps – which plays straight in to the hands of Hybrid pioneers Toyota. The result is that Toyota and Lexus now see a full 20 per cent of their sale in Europe being hybrid cars in the first quarter of 2013, with sales of hybrid cars up a massive 82 per cent year-on-year.

Audi A3 e-Tron Hybrid revealed at Shanghai

Audi A3 e-Tron Hybrid Shanghai - yet another e-Tron Concept Where would we be at a major motor show without Audi and an e-Tron concept? So far we’ve had an Audi e-tron trundled out in everything from a super mini to a super car, and with a range of powertrains from a very sensible range-extender in the Audi A1 e-Tron to the frankly ludicrous claims of the first R8 e-Tron delivering 3,319lbs/ft of torque. What we get for Shanghai is the Audi A3 e-Tron.

Toyota’s Hiromu Naruse dies in LFA Nurburgring accident

Hiromu Naruse dies in LFA Nurburgring Frankly, we’re not too sure of all the details, but it appears that Hiromu Naruse, Toyota’s Chief Test Driver – and Akio Toyoda’s personal driver – has been killed on a public road near the Nurburgring whilst at the wheel of a Lexus LFA Nurburgring Special. The reports coming in  state that Naruse collided with a BMW being driven by two test drivers. Neither of the test drivers in the BMW was killed, although it seems that one has life threatening injuries and is in a critical condition.