IT has been said that one of the ways the UK can drive itself out of its economic woes is through making innovative new products which the rest of the world wants.

And yesterday, a prime example drove off the production line at Toyota's Burnaston factory.

Through a haze of dry ice and camera flashes, the first hybrid Auris, or the Auris Hybrid Synergy Drive to give it its official title, glided into view before an assembled audience of around 300 people.

They included Toyota top brass, senior politicians and leading local business figures.

The car was greeted with loud applause, though it made hardly a sound.

That is because the hybrid Auris runs on electric power at speeds below 30mph, before the petrol engine kicks in.

The start of production of the car is not only a landmark for Toyota but also for the British automotive industry.

Burnaston is the first factory in Europe to start producing a hybrid car.

And as 80 per cent of vehicles produced at Burnaston are exported to the continent, the Derbyshire-built hybrid Auris will be driven by motorists across Europe, as well as in the UK.

Toyota's choice of Burnaston out of nine European factories also underlines the confidence the Japanese manufacturer has in the site.

The decision was a welcome boost for the 3,500 employees.

Toyota's woes over the past 18 months or so have been well documented.

Falling production volumes caused by the global economic downturn and negative publicity over an issue with the brake pedal on some models, which resulted in the recall of millions of vehicles, put the company under pressure.

Winning the hybrid Auris work came at the right time.

Jason Dupres, 33, of Willington, a production group leader at the factory, said: "It's a big boost for the staff.

"Production volumes were cut but we were far from idle. We were training all the time. Thanks to that, we have been able to hit the ground running with the hybrid Auris.

"We're really confident the public will like this car, particularly after they drive it and see how economical it is."

Tim Allsop, 37, of Belper, team leader in assembly pilot, was involved in making changes to the production process so that Burnaston could build the hybrid Auris.

He said: "The fact that Toyota chose us reassures us that this factory has a future.

"We're very proud that we're the first in Europe to mass produce a hybrid and I believe we are a step ahead of the competition."

These sentiments were echoed by Tony Walker, deputy managing director of Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK.

Toyota has had to slash production at Burnaston from about 280,000 vehicles to around half that number.

According to Mr Walker, the sales target for the hybrid Auris this year is 14,000 and next year 30,000.

He said: "For our factory, these are sales that we otherwise would not have had. I'm confident that the hybrid Auris will prove to the consumer that technology in eco-cars has advanced."

At the launch, attended by Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills Vince Cable, senior Toyota executives heaped praise on the Burnaston workforce, as well as those at the firm's engine-making plant at Deeside, North Wales.

Although Burnaston has a new car to get its teeth into, the company still needs to cut its workforce down by about 750 because of the fall in production volumes, something which Toyota hopes to achieve this year through voluntary redundancy.

Dr Cable said that the hybrid Auris would help protect some positions.

He said: "More British exports is what we want to see. We can be leaders in high-value manufacturing and low-carbon technology. This new car is the future."

The task of unveiling the hybrid Auris was left to Katsunori Kojima, managing director of Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK.

After the applause, he said: "Doesn't it look good? I hope you will buy one!"