The State Bought Your Prius

If you've been on the waiting list for a Toyota Prius hybrid for as long as popular mythology would have us believe, you'll be pissed off to know where your car is. The state of Washington bought it out from under you and plastered livery stickers all over it. In 2006 the state's agencies bought 222 Priuses (Priuii?) and 206 Ford Escape hybrids, making this year the first in which the state has purchased more hybrids than standard-fuel automobiles.

We kid about the state buying your car, but of course it's cool that Washington is feeling green enough to buy so many alternative fuel cars. Apparently, the State of Washington's General Administration department is responsible for the hybrid car purchases.

From that agency's press release:

The state Department of Ecology was the first public agency in Washington to buy a Prius through the state contract. Currently, the agency has 52 Prius and 12 Escape hybrids in its fleet. Ecology in 2006 bought 15 Prius with plans to buy 10 more along with 10 Honda Civic hybrids for model year 2007 as older vehicles are retired.

“We're buying hybrid vehicles as part of our business strategy to save taxpayer money on fuel costs, reduce reliance on fossil fuels and decrease pollution,” said Jay Manning, Ecology’s director.

The City of Seattle ordered 100 of the model year 2006 Prius, the most by any public agency in Washington.

"Seattle's long-term goal is a fleet that is 100 percent clean and green," says Dave Kerrigan, City of Seattle Fleet Services director. "Being able to buy the Prius and Escape at a great price from the state helps us to accomplish that goal."

But what about biodiesel, you ask. Man, it's never enough for you, is it?

General Administration plans to add contracts for vehicles that are certified to run on biodiesel, a domestically produced, renewable fuel that can made from vegetable oils, such as soybean or canola oil. Contracts for 2007 models hybrids are expected to be ready by October 2006.

In inane Prius news, the car joined the Starbucks coffee cup as a Monopoly player piece in the new Corporate Heroes of the Unwashed Masses Edition.