Township rolls out new fleet of hybrid cars
BY CHRIS GAETANO Staff Writer

EDISON — Seeking to save money on gasoline as well as reduce harmful carbon emissions, the township has converted 26 cars in its fleet to hybrid electric vehicles, which were shown off to the public on Aug. 20.

"These are tough economic times … . It always seems like things are getting more expensive. That's why it's a good idea to go 'green,' " said Edison Mayor Jun Choi.

The 26 cars that were on display that day are the first of many the municipality intends to purchase. As old cars — some are more than a decade old — are phased out, many will be replaced with new hybrid vehicles, with the ultimate goal of having about 50 percent of the township's fleet consisting of hybrid cars.

While four Civic hybrids are already on order and 25 more hybrids are planned for next year's budget, Edison still has a ways to go, since the township maintains 435 vehicles for its use.

The 26 that are operational today are made up of Toyota Priuses and Ford Escapes, most of which will be used by the Department of Public Works, though Choi said that nearly every department in the municipality will benefit from these vehicles.

The township's emergency vehicles, such as fire and emergency medical services, however, will mostly remain conventional gasoline powered, due to the importance of speed in their duties.

Choi touted the cost savings that the hybrid vehicles would bring, saying that the municipality will be consuming about $70,000 less in gasoline each year with the 26 cars new cars, which he said would be a boon to taxpayers.

"Gas-guzzling cars are costing taxpayers too much," said Choi.

The mayor also said that he and Fire Chief Normal Jensen, Police Director Brian Collier and Business Administrator Anthony Cancro will also be getting cars from this most recent purchase, since they are all on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All of the cars, he said, have emergency radios.

As of press time, Cancro and Choi already have their cars.

Councilwoman Antonia Ricigliano, a frequent critic of the mayor, seized on this point and said that the hybrid vehicles are a good idea, but that the town should not subsidize the commutes of the government's department heads.

"Sure, we're saving money, but why are we paying for people to commute from home? Why should the taxpayer be burdened with that expense?" Ricigliano asked.

Some in the township, including the mayor and Cancro, currently commute from home in nonhybrid vehicles, though Ricigliano feels that less gas or not, some people should not have township cars.

She expressed her misgivings about Cancro having a car, disputing that he is on call 24/7 like the mayor said. She also criticized giving Collier a car, because the police director is a civilian, not a police officer.

Ricigliano said it would be better if the township's deputy chiefs, Thomas Bryan and Mel Vaticano, received cars instead, "because they are actually involved in police work," she said.

The councilwoman said she is in the process of drawing up an ordinance that would explicitly limit the recipients of township cars to the mayor, fire chief, deputy chiefs and Office of Emergency Management coordinator.

According to Cancro, the hybrids are part of an overall effort within the municipality to improve energy efficiency. The business administrator said the township is also exploring the possibility of solar panel installations for municipal buildings, and had recently completed an energy audit, where it was revealed that lighting took up a significant portion of power used.

The township's transition into hybrid cars, according to experts, is representative of a trend within the state. As gas becomes more expensive and people are more aware of environmental issues, local municipalities have shown an interest in hybrid vehicles for town functions.

"[Not only have] numerous towns contacted me regarding this purchasing green vehicles, but also tips on how to conserve petroleum and gasoline products, and the whole gamut of strategies [and] purchasing tips on how to not only conserve our fossil fuels but how to save dollars, which translates into reducing property taxes," said William G. Dressel, executive director of the state League of Municipalities.

An increased interest by municipalities in purchasing hybrid cars may be evident in the large number of county, state and federal programs that assist towns in doing so.

For its cars, Edison worked through a program run by the state's Board of Public Utilities that provided $4,000 in rebates on each car, as well as through the county's Capital Equipment Lease Program, which allowed the township to use the county's AAA bond rating when purchasing the vehicles.

By working through the county, the hybrids, as well as a number of the township's police cars, have county license plates, though they are fully township vehicles.

All told, the Priuses cost the township about $20,000 each and the Escapes cost $25,000.

"For us to receive it for $20,000 is a great discount," said Choi.

Through rebates, the town saved about $100,000 on the purchase.

The cars being replaced vary in age and condition, but they all have larger engines and some receive as little as 12 miles per gallon of gas. Two examples of vehicles being replaced are a 1987 Crown Victoria and a 1987 Ford Bronco.

The Toyota Prius is known for its fuel efficiency. It takes regular gas and is rated at 45 to 52 miles per gallon. The Ford Escape is rated at 30 to 34 miles per gallon.