Toyota and Mazda could be close to signing an agreement to work together in pursuit of efficiency. The Nikkei Asian Review reports that the two Japanese giants will extend an existing agreement to combine technical expertise in a strategy dubbed “competitive cooperation”. As the world’s largest producer of hybrid cars, Toyota would pass on its knowledge of batteries and electrical systems for use in Mazda vehicles. Mazda, meanwhile, would allow Toyota to make use of its Skyactiv technology designed to maximise the efficiency of internal combustion engines without the use of an electric motor.