Hybrid and Town Budget Questions

I was reading a story on the use of a Prius in a town's fire department (See story about evansville) and a few questions popped into my head.

But first the story. The article writer wants you to know how, by buying three Prius, the town was saving money on fuel costs. Although the lack of power was evident in the Prius, it wasn't really a big deal because the department inspectors were using them in-town, non-emergeny stop and start driving.

That sort of situation suits the Prius perfectly, resulting in fuel economy at three to four times what they were getting using Crown Victorias.

"It's a considerable savings," he said. "And not only were (the Crown Victorias) not doing well on gas, but they were probably putting out more pollutants than we'd care to talk about at this point. So it's a win for everyone, I think."

But, that made me wonder if the reporter was emphasizing the right thing. The initial cost of a Prius is well over the initial cost of a Crown Vic. So, even though the fuel savings were great, I would have emphasized the 'green,' less polluting, aspect instead.

I'm pretty sure the maintenance costs would be similar, but it would have been nice to point that out as well.

The question remains. Obviously the environmental considerations are very important, but a town budget can be tough to negotiate. I'm left wondering how they pushed through the purchasing price? Did they get a discount? Was their a rebate involved? What about tax issues? Did the state help out?

What do you think? Are hybrid cars like the Prius, obvious choices for local communities?

"It comes down to dollars and cents," he said. "Provided the lighting system and radios work, we're going to be extremely happy with this."