City fills fleet with hybrid Toyotas

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Indianapolis leaders announced they're adding 85 hybrid cars to their city fleet. The new cars are manufactured by neither Ford, nor Chrysler, nor GM.

The Toyota Camry hybrids will be among those added to the city's non-pursuit department of public safety vehicles as part of a pilot program. The city rejected the less expensive Chevy Malibu hybrid for the similar Camrys.

"It's seven miles per gallon better than the Malibu. When you factor that in, it pays for itself within five years," said City Controller David Reynolds.

The savings are little consolation to UAW workers who are holding rallies across the country in the hopes they'll help save their jobs.

So what would city leaders say to those workers?

"I would say the city is making their decision on what's the best use of taxpayer dollars," said Reynolds.

Glynn Warwick, General Manager of Tom Wood Toyota Scion sees it this way:

"Toyota builds more of their vehicles and puts more Americans to work in this country than Chevrolet, and General Motors and Ford do," said Warwick.

As for city leaders, they said their decision was motivated by green, the financial costs as well as the environmental ones.

In response to the city's purchase, GM's communication manager said, "We are sure they made the decision based on a sound business case. Without all the facts, a Chevrolet Malibu hybrid costs less than a Camry Hybrid and gets great gas mileage. It's unfortunate that an American product was not selected."