It seems that when most of us think green we think Japanese – Toyota and Nissan are among the leading manufacturers of green cars in the world. However, the thought process of the two companies going forward is likely to be different.

Both Toyota and Nissan are pouring resources into eco-friendly programmes while working on a variety of battery-electric, hybrid and fuel-cell concepts. However, there is a subtly different approach being adopted by both manufacturers.

Toyota, for example, is planning to build on the success of the Prius model – the world’s biggest selling hybrid car. Toyota UK managing director Miguel Fonseca stated that the company will continue to use petrol rather than diesel for the internal combustion element of its drivetrains, despite the fact that Peugeot and Volkswagen are placing the emphasis on diesels.

“Petrol has better efficiency at high RPM than diesel, while electric motors are better at low revs,” he said.

The company is also working on a miniaturised hybrid drivetrain for its new IQ city car, which is expected to go on sale before the end of the year.

This contrasts steeply with Nissan, which is firmly concentrating on battery technology. At the British International Motor Show, it displayed a battery-electric prototype of its Cube city car, a vehicle that will only be sold in Japan. However, it is planning to commercialise an electric car before the end of 2010 thanks to developments in lithium-ion batteries.

Pierre Long, vice-president of product planning for Nissan, said: “European sales will start in 2011, and we would like to be mass producing electric cars – not just one or two hundred – by 2012.”

Which strategy do you believe is the best going forward – Nissan’s with the emphasis on electrics, or Toyota’s with the focus on hybrids? Let us know your thoughts.