FRANKFORT, KY – The Kentucky Finance and Administration Cabinet’s Division of Fleet Management continues to replace larger, less fuel-efficient vehicles with more energy efficient and environmentally friendly models, such as hybrid and flexible-fuel vehicles. The state’s motor vehicle fleet currently has 26 hybrid vehicles with three more on order, including the Toyota Prius, Toyota Highlander Hybrid, Ford Escape Hybrid, Honda Civic Hybrid, and Honda Insight.

These vehicles replaced larger SUVs and trucks that had been primarily used by field staff in the Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet (EPPC), which estimates that its average fuel cost has been reduced by 52 percent as a result of this hybrid technology. In comparison to traditional fuel-powered vehicles, the above-listed hybrids also reduced harmful emissions from approximately 109,000 pounds to approximately 2,250 pounds for the same.

In addition to the introduction of hybrid technology, another 1,237 flexible-fuel vehicles are currently included in the state’s motor vehicle fleet. An additional 228 vehicles on order include sedans, trucks, and cargo and passenger vans. These vehicles are designed to run on a mixture of unleaded gasoline and an alcohol fuel, either ethanol or methanol.