County accepts delivery of 10 new hybrid vehicles

LIHU‘E — Ten new hybrid sport utility vehicles were delivered to the county by Midpac Auto Center this week, bringing the total number of hybrid cars in the county fleet to 32.

The 2010 Ford Escape Hybrids will replace aging vehicles assigned to the Planning, Public Works, and Parks and Recreation departments, as well as the Housing Agency.

“Replacing the county’s old cars with fuel efficient hybrids makes good economic sense,” said Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. “The added benefit is hybrid vehicles are environmentally friendly.”

The Escape Hybrid has an estimated rating of 34 miles per gallon for city driving and 31 mpg on the highway. It is also rated as a super ultra low emission vehicle as well as an advanced technology partial zero emissions vehicle.

At low speeds of up to 25 mph, the Escape Hybrid is said to run solely on battery power so no fuel is actually used at low speeds or when the vehicle is stopped in traffic.

“Our environment on Kaua‘i is what makes life so special here. It is very gratifying for all of us in the Midpac family to support the County of Kaua‘i’s focus on fuel efficiency and its effort to lessen human impacts on our natural resources,” said James Hanley, principal of Midpac Auto Center. “We believe the Ford Escape Hybrid is the right vehicle for keeping Kaua‘i Kaua‘i.”

Russ Wong, Midpac general manager, said, “During these challenging economic times, local business-to-business support within the community of Kaua‘i is crucial. At Midpac, we are very pleased to know that out of a field of competitors throughout Hawai’i, we successfully earned the County of Kaua‘i’s bid to add fuel efficient hybrid vehicles to its working fleet.”

Regular maintenance of the new hybrid cars will be handled by the county’s automotive repair shop, while Midpac will be taking care of all repairs covered by warranty.