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http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/2/AmericanFlag.jpg Police join town agencies using hybrids to save fuel, money (http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2009/05/17/more_officers_in_blue_are_driving_green/)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2009_Ford_Escape_Hybrid_Rear.jpgConnie Paige - The Boston Globe (http://www.boston.com/news/) - May 17, 2009

The more this catches on, the better we'll be! --Ed.

Concord Police Chief Leonard J. Wetherbee believes he is on to a good thing.

Wetherbee has a hybrid SUV as part of his department's fleet of vehicles, is expecting a new hybrid sedan to be delivered next month, and has hopes to buy more hybrids in the next year for use as unmarked police cars. He is counting on the new vehicles to dramatically reduce his fuel bills at a time when the town's other expenses are skyrocketing and revenues are plunging.

"I felt this is one way we could effect some change in a positive way, environmentally as well as operationally, and not impact our delivery of services at all," Wetherbee said. "It's necessary to make changes."

A number of local officials have been reluctant to buy hybrid vehicles, which typically use an electric motor to supplement a gasoline- or diesel-powered engine, saying they are too expensive or too new to have a strong track record for reliability, long life, and continued fuel savings.

But several area communities have paid the extra money for energy-efficient vehicles for use by police, public works, and other... http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2009/05/17/more_officers_in_blue_are_driving_green/

It's important to note that the duty cycle of emergency vehicles is generally nothing like that of a typical personal vehicle. Their duty is much closer to that of a cab, where periods of waiting/idle time is interrupted by an intense need to get somewhere else OR just cruising around (patrolling). Outside of high speed requirements, full hybrids fit this duty cycle well (reference all the good reports coming from NYC and SF hybrid cab fleets).

Sure the police won't see hypermiler MPG figures but it won't be hard to easily see a ROI when you compare it to a 14MPG (optimistic) Crown Vic over a 200,000+ mile lifespan. Simply getting 20MPG (which I think is reasonable if not on the far low end for any full hybrid) is worth $10,000+ at $2.50/gal. $17,000+ if gas is $4/gal. Just think of the time savings alone that 300 or so less trips to a gas station would get. It may not be much (50 hours) for a single car but think about if you had a whole fleet.