NEW YORK SHARES

HYBRID electric vehicle sales are expected to grow by 50 per cent according to a business research and consulting firm. Frost & Sullivan say by 2017 the traction motor market will register sales in excess of 2.6 million in Europe.

This is fuelled in some part by company fleet managers who have strict aims to reduce costs through improved fuel consumption and lowering road tax costs by buying cars with lower CO2 emissions.

And that makes hybrid vehicles a huge attraction.

The latest Infiniti M35h, a luxury hybrid saloon, powered by a 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine and electric motor, qualifies for the higher rate of write down allowance (WDA), allowing companies to claim 18 per cent of the car's cost as capital expenditure per year.

Infiniti is the luxury arm of Nissan and the four door saloon is luxurious with comfortable full leather seats and a host of standard features including heated steering wheel and a rather complex air system which has automatic re-circulation, breeze mode, plasmacluster air purifier and grape polyphenol filter.

In 2011 Guinness World Records officially declared the M35h the fastest accelerating hybrid in the world, faster than a Porsche and BMW equivalent and reaching 62mph in just 5.5 seconds which is even more incredible because of its huge size.

But I still found it easy to park in a multi storey car park with very narrow spaces, helped by a host of sensors and a very clear rear view camera. With low running costs, the Infiniti M35h offers fleet buyers a car that is pure luxury with exhilarating power yet with practical advantages.

Cars with CO2 of more than 160 g/km can claim only ten per cent WDA per year. But at 159 g/km, the lower emissions figure drops the M35h one tax band for drivers, from 23 to 22 per cent for 2012/13, saving a 40 per cent taxpayer around £180 a year. Tax liability for company drivers is substantially lower than petrol saloons with similar performance.

When starting off from cold, I had to check the dials to see that the car was in operating mode as electric power is totally silent. It may have startled a few pedestrians too who tend to cross the road with their ears not their eyes.

As a sort of compromise to going all electric, which still holds some worries for drivers, the hybrid powered Infiniti M35h will be a big benefit to company balance sheets.

Sue Cooke