It looked like it had arrived from Mars but it came from Japan, the 1997 Toyota Prius that went down in history as first hybrid car in the world mass produced. A portion of the Far East that would be considered, in years to come, the homeland of full hybrid technology. Almost thirty years later, it has established itself in European market as the best compromise in the transition to electric, the ideal solution for getting around the city while keeping emissions and consumption under control. Free from the economic burdens that weigh on rechargeable via cable. Invented by Toyota at the end of the last millennium, full hybrid cars are now the most widespread in Europe with a share of 38.2% accumulated between January and April 2026, up by more than 12 points compared to the same period in 2025. The leading players, Japanese as Honda (e:Hev), Nissan (e-Power), Koreans like Hyundai-Kia and Europeans like Renault (E-Tech), to be added to the more recent arrivals of Chinese players. In the following sheets, we will find the technical characteristics and peculiarities of the most widespread full hybrid systems in Europe.
