MEDFORD, Ore. – RVTD is already seeing savings after adding six hybrid vans to their fleet earlier this year.

“It’s a very simple system that has a great effect add a net cost about $9500 for the up charge,” says RVTD’s Operations Manager, Tim D’Alessandro, “We’re thinking it’s going to be about the 3.5-year range to 4-year range; these vehicles typically go 5 to 7 years, so the return on investment is definitely there.”

Short-term savings are centered around fuel costs, “We don’t have a vehicle to relate side-by-side to you,” explains D’Alessandro, “but when we look at this vehicle type and what it traditionally gets and what it’s getting for fuel economy, we’re at about 23% fuel economy increase.”

According to D’Alessandro, RVTD has been running their busses on compressed natural gas since 1994. “We have always had an eye out for ways to worry about the air shed and the air-quality while also saving taxpayer dollars because that fuel source cost more money for us to purchase,” says D’Alessandro.

The hybrid has allowed RVTD to continue that mindset and reduce pollution while saving tax payers money, “These are taxpayer dollars, we want to make sure we’re getting the best bang for our buck economically for them, as well as the environmental benefit on the other side of it,” says D’Alessandro, “I mean you can’t complain. It’s a win-win situation.”