Nine Ford Crown Victoria patrol cars with the Chapel Hill Police Department will be outfitted with the IdleRight Vehicle Fuel Management System, paid for with a $3,600 grant from the North Carolina Solar Center’s Alternative Fuel/Advanced Vehicle Technology project.
The town also received almost $18,700 from the solar center to help pay for four Ford Escape Hybrids, which have double the fuel economy of the old vehicles.
The IdleRight sensor monitors battery charge and turns on the car engine only when the battery is low, saving fuel and potentially reducing emissions.
The town is currently finalizing the contract with the center, after which it will take a few months to equip five vehicles with the IdleRight.
Four new cars that will be added to the police fleet in the fall through the vehicle replacement plan will also be equipped.
