Japanese manufacturers are leading the way for electrified vehicle sales in the UK according to new figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Almost 60 per cent of new plug-in and hybrid car sales came from the likes of Toyota, Nissan and Lexus – with the Nissan Leaf accounting for more than 40 per cent of all pure electric car sales.
Models such as the Toyota Prius plug-in, Toyota Yaris Hybrid and Lexus NX performed particularly well on these shores – with Japanese vehicle interest up by 18.5 per cent in the last 12 months.
In further good news, Japanese demand for British-built models has grown by 60.5 per cent for the first eight months of 2018 – with the Mini Hatch, Honda Civic and Mini Clubman the top three British-built models in Japan.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: "Our relationship with Japan has gone from strength-to-strength in recent years, based on a mutual commitment to trade, investment and innovation, with both countries benefitting greatly from its success.
“With our reputation for world class engineering and premium products, alongside ongoing government collaboration and huge investment to position the UK as a world leader in electric vehicles, strengthening our trade ties with Japan will no doubt significantly benefit both countries.
“While the recent signing of the EU-Japan Free Trade Deal could help increase trade, for the UK to benefit from open trade post-Brexit, we need long-term agreements with both the EU and Japan."
