JAPANESE technology is helping businesses to get an insight into more efficient motoring.

The Honda Insight looks conventional enough, but it is capable of travelling almost 100 miles on a gallon of petrol.

Dealer De Vries, of Northallerton, North Yorkshire, has loaned the car - which has a unique engine system that combines a small petrol engine and a 140-volt battery - to the county council's travel awareness officer Geoff Gardner.

Over the next three weeks, he will be using it to demonstrate and explain to businesses across the county how their vehicle fleets could be made much more fuel-efficient.

Mr Gardner said: "Not only could the Insight save companies a fortune on fuel, but it would also boost their image, as it's a real head-turner, too."