JERSEY CITY, NJ - Following the catastrophic transmission failure of a New Jersey City University (NJCU) Public Safety patrol vehicle, the Facilities Department proposed re-purposing its Toyota Prius Hybrid car as a patrol vehicle. This proposal was made in an effort to replace the patrol vehicle without spending money on a vehicle slated for replacement, according to the NJCU newsletter.

This is a twofold improvement to the NJCU fleet. The vehicle that was deemed the No. 1 priority for replacement based on a lifecycle cost analysis was removed from the fleet at no additional cost to the University, reducing the total number of vehicles in the NJCU fleet by one. This results in significant savings through cost avoidance. Public Safety now increases the number of hybrid vehicles used as patrol vehicles and reduces fuel use during idling.

The vehicle was turned over to Public Safety in January, according to the article.