ALBUQUERQUE, NM — New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson took possession of a new Ford Escape hybrid SUV today from Bob Turner Ford in Albuquerque, according to the Associated Press. The hybrid obtains an estimated 31 miles per gallon and runs on a combination of a four-cylinder gasoline engine and magnetic electric motor. Gov. Richardson pointed out that the hybrid not only saves on fuel costs, but that tax incentives he has enacted will mean savings on the total price as well. “During the 2004 legislative session I proposed and the Legislature approved a bill to waive the state sales tax on efficient hybrid automobiles,” Gov. Richardson said, as quoted by the Associated Press. “Today, hybrid-buyers in New Mexico are saving big bucks when they purchase one of these efficient hybrids. The savings on this Escape, for instance, are about $800.”