Toyota has been revealing its latest electric vehicle (EV) developments at the Geneva Motor Show.

The manufacturer will showcase its plug-in hybrid vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell technologies and battery design.

Some 600 Prius hybrid cars are already on the road as part of a worldwide leasing project, 200 of them are in Europe.

Before the car goes on general sale, Toyota will be analysing information such as the charging patterns of the model and obtaining user feedback to verify the vehicle’s overall environmental and technological performance.

In a project jointly funded by Panasonic EV energy, the brand is bettering the battery technology used in its vehicles.

By September this year, more than one million batteries a year will be manufactured by three facilities in Japan.

In an attempt to reduce the cost of its batteries, Toyota is looking at alternative ways to power hybrid vehicles apart from by using lithium-ion batteries, which recharge more quickly than nickel-metal hydride types.

The UK government has set up a scheme, in place from January next year, to provide an incentive to motorists looking to buy ultra-low carbon vehicles.

Those purchasing new low-carbon cars can obtain discounts of £5,000 off the models.

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