AMES, Iowa — It's taken a few years, but the transition is almost complete for the Ames Police Department—it's fleet of patrol vehicles will soon all be hybrids. But the road to get here started with some uncertainty.
"You never want to let your officers down, or the let the department down," said Dan Walter, the city's police commander.
Since 2019, he's been leading the effort to replace the city patrol vehicles with hybrids.
"I did have some apprehension, and a little bit of nervousness about whether or not these would work and operate the same," Walter said.
Fast forward to today, and Walter says officers are pleased with the new vehicles' performance and reliability.
He expects the entire fleet will be hybrids by the end of the year, which will benefit taxpayers, too.
Even though the new vehicles cost about $3,750 more than their non-hybrid counterparts, the department can quickly recoup the cost.
Here's a look at some of the areas where the city is saving:
Fuel costs
- Non-hybrid: $13,500
- Hybrid: $5,500
Oil changes
- Non-hybrid: 13/year x $60 = 780
- Hybrid: 4/year x 90 = 360
Maintenance
- Non-hybrid: Brake pad replacement at 35,000 miles ($750)
- Hybrid: Brake pads 50% at 70,000 miles
There other long-term benefits the department hopes to see. For example, because these hybrid engines need to idle less, the vehicles could stay in service longer. Also, when they eventually need to be replaced, the department anticipates the resale value will be higher.
Walter said the biggest hiccup in the process has been delays in getting the vehicles outfitted with the right equipment.
"We would prefer to have already switched out several more, but it's a supply chain issue," he said. "We can't get cages, or trying to get an appointment to get in to get the car switched out has been been difficult.
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