LONDON estate agent Chard has jumped on the hybrid bandwagon by replacing its fleet of 50 Toyota RAV4s with the Prius, which combines an electric motor and a petrol engine.

Jim Pike, Chard’s fleet manager, said the vehicles would be used to ferry prospective buyers and tenants to view properties.

He said: ‘We’ve been more than happy with the RAV4s but as the time came to start replacing them, we wanted to find an equally reliable and comfortable vehicle, but one that was kinder to the environment.

‘The Prius was the ideal choice. It shows our commitment to the local areas in which we work.’